SKorean ruling powers make missile defense push

By Alex Jensen

SEOUL

South Korean President Park Geun-hye was still trying Tuesday to persuade critics of the need to deploy a contentious American missile defense system -- even though Seoul and Washington already announced last month that a battery would be in place on the peninsula by the end of next year.

The planned location for the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) battery is rural Seongju County nearly 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of Seoul.

But since the decision was made public, Seongju residents have held a series of protests -- arguing they were not consulted and that such a missile defense system, with its powerful radar, could have negative health, environmental and security effects.

Some opposition lawmakers have raised more general concerns out of concern that THAAD will upset China and suit the United States more than South Korea, where close to 30,000 American troops are stationed.

Beijing has made clear via official statements that its relationship with Seoul has been hurt by the move, as China and the U.S. vie for regional influence.

According to local news agency Yonhap, Park insisted during a Cabinet meeting that groundless rumors about the supposed THAAD risks are “shaking the foundation of security”.

The South’s ruling party also backed its president over the upcoming deployment, which is to be funded by the U.S. in any case.

“The opposition bloc should give us clear answers on what are the alternatives to stopping North Korea's nukes and missiles without the [THAAD] system and the Seoul-Washington alliance,” party whip Chung Jin-suk was also quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea emphasized the suitability of Seongju during a seminar in the South Korean capital -- and attempted to allay fears.

“When it comes to safety in and around the radar system, no one will be closer to that radar than my soldiers under my command. I would not recklessly endanger those soldiers while they are protecting someone else,” Commander Vincent Brooks asserted.

Momentum in favor of THAAD gathered pace earlier this year with a series of provocations by North Korea, including a fourth ever nuclear test and multiple ballistic missile launches.