South Korean Defense Minister Dialogue with People About THAAD

(Baonghean.vn) - The Korean Ministry of Defense announced on August 16 that the MinisterHan Min-koo will go to Seongju tomorrow - the site of the THAAD missile defense system deployment - to talk with local residents.

The THAAD missile defense system has caused many concerns for Seongju residents. Photo: Yonhap

Defense Minister Han Min-koo will visit Seongju, a town 296 kilometers southeast of Seoul, tomorrow to “listen to local residents’ opinions on the THAAD missile defense system,” according to South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun.

The United States and South Korea have agreed to put the THAAD missile defense system into operation by the end of 2017. Seongju residents are furious at what they call a “unilateral” decision.

Seongju residents protested the decision to deploy THAAD in Seongju due to concerns that strong electromagnetic waves emitted from the system could affect their health.

“If given the opportunity to talk to the people, Han Min-koo will clearly explain the process of selecting Seongju as the site for THAAD deployment,” said spokesman Moon Sang-gyun.

Earlier, in order to ease public concerns about the health risks of THAAD's electromagnetic waves, South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn and Defense Minister Han Min-koo also visited Seongju in early July. However, they were unable to participate in a dialogue with the public as planned because they were surrounded by protesters in a bus for more than 6 hours.

The decision to deploy the THAAD missile defense system was made by South Korea and the US on July 8 to deal with the growing threat from North Korea.

Diep Khanh

(According to Yonhap)