Korea to check alternate sites for THAAD
South Korea's military said Monday it will conduct detailed examinations into three sites in the rural county of Seongju to check if alternate locations can be found to deploy an advanced U.S. missile defense system.
The move comes as Seongju residents strongly protested the government's decision to install the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system at the Seongsan artillery base which is not too far away from the county's main population center. The government announced on July 13 that it plans to have a THAAD battery in place in Seongju, 296 kilometers southeast of Seoul, by the end of 2017, to better counter growing threats from North Korea.
"We have picked three possible sites for THAAD after consultations with the provincial government. The joint team composed of Korean and U.S. officials will make field visits and carry out a review of the sites' availability for THAAD," Moon Sang-gyun, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, said in a press briefing.
The three candidate sites are the area near Mt. Yeomsok in Geumsoo-myeon, Mt. Kkachi in Sooryoon-myeon and a golf course operated by Lotte Group in Chojeon-myeon.
In its own analysis, the defense ministry already found the first two sites not appropriate for the missile defense system due mainly to cost reasons. The golf course in northern Seongju has emerged as a likely alternative site due to its remote location from residential areas and existing and good infrastructure.
"We will apply six principles -- operational effectiveness, health concerns by residents, infrastructure, overall safety considerations, construction time and cost, and the preparation period for installation -- to select an alternative site as quickly as possible," the official said.
The residents of Seongju have opposed the THAAD system because they are concerned about the potential health risks regarding the powerful X-band radar that comes with the missile defense system.
They have recently asked the government to select an alternate site in Seongju for the planned deployment of the THAAD battery.
On July 8, Seoul and Washington announced they will deploy a THAAD battery in South Korea to better defend against nuclear and missile threats from the North. (Yonhap)
相关文章
Alcaraz, Sinner survive US Open wobbles
NEW YORK:Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz survived US Open first round wobbles on Tuesday to stay on2024-09-22- “稳中趋好、动能提升、基础夯实。”交通银行负责人对上半年工作做了12字的概括。上半年,交行紧紧围绕“服务实体经济、防控金融风险、深化金融改革”三项任务,2024-09-22
- “稳中趋好、动能提升、基础夯实。”交通银行负责人对上半年工作做了12字的概括。上半年,交行紧紧围绕“服务实体经济、防控金融风险、深化金融改革”三项任务,2024-09-22
- 12日,北京市第一中级人民法院依法公开宣判被告单位安徽钰诚控股集团、钰诚国际控股集团有限公司以及被告人丁宁、丁甸、张敏等26人集资诈骗、非法吸收公众存款案。北京市第一中级人民法院依法公开宣判:对钰诚国2024-09-22
The local version of Project 2025 is already causing devastation.
Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s toxic playbook for a second Trump administration, has so inf2024-09-22- “五一”假期即将到来,践行文明旅游,是每个游客应尽的义务。我们在尽情享受美景的时候,千万不要忘记文明旅游。形成文明旅游的氛围,不仅要有良好的机制保障,更重要的是每一个游人的文明素质都过关。1、举手投足2024-09-22
最新评论