Confusion grows over possible THAAD location

Civic activists protest in Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul, Monday, against a decision by South Korea and the United States to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

By Yi Whan-woo

Confusion is growing over the location for a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery as the government, which reportedly has already chosen the site, is delaying its announcement amid growing protests from residents.

On Friday, the Ministry of Defense said it needs “a couple more weeks” before picking the site jointly with the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).

Defense Minister Han Min-koo said Sunday that the location has already been picked, and will be announced soon.

Some other military and government officials then said the number of candidate sites has been narrowed down to “one-digit.”

Citing health risks associated with electromagnetic radiation emitted by THAAD’s radar, residents at mentioned candidate locations have been protesting.

Those areas include locations where U.S. troops are stationed, such as Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province, Wonju in Gangwon Province, Waegwan in North Gyeongsang Province and Gunsan in North Jeolla Province.

There are also two sites with no U.S. military presence ― Eumseong County in North Chungcheong Province and Beolgyo in South Jeolla Province.

Rumors have circulated that the government has considered Eumseong and Bulgyo as candidate sites in order to avoid anti-U.S. rallies around U.S. military bases.

Eumseong and Beolgyo were also put on the list after some politicians mentioned that THAAD will be deployed outside the country’s southeast region.

Defense ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun said Monday that he had “nothing to say concerning the THAAD location.”

“It makes the government more untrustworthy,” said a resident of Waegwan.

The resident was among 3,500 protesters from the area who held an anti-government rally, Saturday.

They demanded that the government consult the municipalities concerning THAAD, claiming the existence of Camp Carroll, a U.S. base in the area, has already impeded the economic development of Waegwan.

Over 5,000 residents from Eumseong County took to the streets as well Monday.

They protested that the government never notified them of the health hazards associated with THAAD and also that deployment of THAAD will lead to falling land prices.

“We’ll never allow our land to be occupied by the military if it unilaterally makes the decision,” one of the protesters said.

Analysts criticized the government for “lack of consistency” in its plan to announce the THAAD location.

“The case is comparable to a plan for the construction of a nuclear power plant,” said Lee Doo-young, the director of the Citizens Coalition for Economic Justices’ branch office in North Chungcheong Province. “The government must make clear how it will prevent possible safety hazards and ensure that everyone in the area will be safe.”

Bae Byung-il, a law professor at Yeungnam University, said, “The government should develop a compensation plan when picking a site for THAAD.”

“Although the security alliance with the U.S. is crucial, the government also should always take into account whether national interests should come before regional interests,” he said.