Military seeks to deploy THAAD battery by May
Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn walks with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Lee Sun-jin, left, during a visit to Joint Chiefs of Staff headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Sunday. Hwang ordered the military to strengthen readiness against possible North Korean attacks amid political turmoil following President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment. / Yonhap
By Rachel Lee
The Ministry of National Defense plans to speed up the procedure of deploying a U.S. advanced anti-missile system here, aiming for completion by May, defense officials said Sunday.
However, this may trigger a backlash from opposition parties, which have vowed to push for abandonment of disputed projects undertaken by the Park Geun-hye administration, including the one about the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery.
The political uncertainty following the impeachment of the scandal-ridden leader and potential presidential candidates’ opposition to the anti-missile battery are expected to overshadow the ministry’s plan to set up it here next year.
Concerns have been raised that the deployment may be derailed since the scandal involving Park and her confidant Choi Soon-sil erupted in October, which diluted the President’s power as a top decision marker.
But such a move to accelerate the deployment is expected to face escalating conflict with the opposition bloc that has insisted its stance against the missile system.
Rep. Choo Mi-ae, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) chairwoman, said last week after the passing of a motion to impeach the President that the party is determined to examine pending issues in detail including China’s retaliation coming from the THAAD deployment and the spreading of avian influenza across the country.
Rep. Kim Dong-cheol, interim leader of the minor opposition People’s Party, also said the current national security team should all stop the process of such “sensitive, serious issues such as the THAAD deployment and the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) deal, and these should be carried out under the new government.”
A defense ministry official said, Sunday, that infrastructure needed for the THAAD deployment such as electricity and water supply at a golf course in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, was already set in place, adding that it will not take much time to complete construction.
The ministry and the Lotte Group have agreed on a land swap deal to enable the United States Forces of Korea to set up a THAAD battery on the Lotte-owned golf course last month. In exchange, Lotte will get military-owned land in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province.
After the two sides reach a conclusion of the deal, slated for next January, necessary procedures will follow in accordance with the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). Under the agreement, Seoul is responsible for providing the land and relevant facilities to host THAAD while Washington will fund its deployment and operation.
The ministry also said it is considering skipping an environmental impact test for the site to speed up the process, because the golf course already had one when it was first set up.
“Whether or not to carry out another test will be decided after coming up with a basic plan,” an official said.
However, calls for another test are growing due to harmful electromagnetic waves emitted from THAAD’s X-band radar.
In July, Seoul and Washington announced a decision to deploy a THAAD battery here by next year to better deter evolving threats from North Korea’ nuclear and missile programs.
Many opposition lawmakers have called into question the government’s bungled management of the deployment decision-making process as well as its official announcement, which sparked severe criticism from local residents living in the area selected as the THAAD location.