PM to visit Seongju to alleviate concerns over THAAD deployment

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn is set to visit the southern town of Seongju, which was tapped as the site for the deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system, on Friday.

The trip is seen as a move to alleviate concerns residents may have about health issues related to the missile system's powerful radar and questions raised about the fairness of the government's decision-making process.

Residents of the town, located 296 kilometers south of Seoul, started staging protests earlier this week after the government announced it would deploy the U.S. Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) there.

Seoul and Washington decided to deploy the THAAD system in South Korea last week.

While the government and conservatives claim THAAD is necessary to better deal with Pyongyang's nuclear and missile threats, the country's opposition parties and progressive elements have expressed reservations over potential diplomatic conflicts with China and Russia. (Yonhap)