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By Kim Se-jeong
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| An Air Force airman stands guard at the gate of a Hawk ground-to-air missile battery on a mountain in the town of Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. South Korea and the United States announced Wednesday that they have chosen Seongju County as the location for a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery. / Yonhap |
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| An elderly woman ties a band around her head during a protest against the proposed deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. / Korea Times photo by Kim Young-chul |
More than 5,000 gathered in the county's capital to oppose the decision, claiming the missile system will pose serious health risks to them and environmental damage due to strong electromagnetic waves from the radar.
"What a decision. We do not accept it," the people chanted.
The Ministry of National Defense cited two reasons for the decision: the county's low population and an existing missile unit there which will enable cost saving.
"A low population isn't true," Seongju County head Kim Hang-gon said in the protest. "Right next to where the THAAD will be deployed is the county capital where almost half of the county's population lives."
The county's capital is home to 15,000 people, and the planned THAAD site is 1.5 kilometers away. "THAAD is coming right into Seongju's front yard. We won't tolerate this."
Kim expressed disappointment at the government. "This is the worst decision-making process ever. There was zero communication between the central and county governments in advance. This is absurd."
Bae Jae-man, head of the county council, said, "There is a required process even to build a small factory, but the government did not listen to us for such a huge national project."
Kim, Bae and other county officials wrote a protest pledge in blood.
They and 230 other residents came up to Seoul and demanded a meeting with Defense Minister Han Min-koo. But the minister wasn't in his office, leaving the residents to protest that Han was ignoring them.
Although the World Health Organization has ruled out any adverse health effects from the radar when exposed from time to time, residents seem to believe THAAD will have a negative influence on their health as well as agricultural produce.
Oriental melon, called "chamoe," is bread and butter for the county, and farmers are concerned about the impact on their business.
Ryu Ji-won, an Oriental melon farmer for three decades, voiced his frustration. "Seongju is responsible for almost 70 percent of melon production in the country. If the radar somehow affects the fruit, consumption will drop, and my business will be hit hard," Ryu said.
"No one came to explain to us what it is and why this should have come to Seongju. Now, the government notifies us and expects us to suffer without saying anything. I am sorry Ms. President. That is not going to happen."
At the National Assembly, 21 lawmakers representing constituents in North Gyeongsang Province held a press conference, condemning the central government's decision.
THAAD deployment is to prevent possible attacks from North Korean missiles, according to the ministry. Those who oppose it question the system's technical readiness. They also suspect it would only serve the interest of the U.S.
