South Korea’s military aims to deploy an advanced US missile defense unit on a golf course, a South Korean Ministry of National Defense official said yesterday, after it had to scrap its initial site for the battery in the face of opposition from residents.
Tension on the Korean Peninsula has been high this year, beginning with North Korea’s fourth nuclear test in January, which was followed by a satellite launch, a string of tests of various missiles and its fifth and largest nuclear test this month.
In July, Seoul agreed with Washington that the US’ Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system would be deployed in the Seongju region, southeast of the capital, to defend the country.
Photo: Yonhap/AP
However, residents of the melon farming area protested over worries about the safety of the system’s powerful radar and the likelihood it would be a target for North Korea, which warned of retaliation, if war broke out.
The plan to deploy the system has also angered China, which worries that the THAAD’s powerful radar would compromise its security.
The new site for the missile battery would be a golf course at the high-end Lotte Skyhill Seongju Country Club, the official told reporters, confirming media reports.
The club is owned by the Lotte Group conglomerate and had been considered as an alternative due to its high altitude and accessibility for military vehicles, the official said.
It is not clear how the military will acquire the property, reportedly worth about 100 billion won (US$90.78 million).
A spokesman for the Lotte Group declined to comment and an official at the country club did not have an immediate response.
The US this week said that it would speed up deployment of the THAAD system given the pace of North Korea’s missile tests, and it would be stationed in South Korea “as soon as possible.”
On Thursday, China again warned against the deployment, saying it “means what it says” when it says it will consider countermeasures.
The US and South Korea have said THAAD does not threaten China’s security or target any country other than North Korea.
The military analyzed three possible locations for the system and found the golf course to be the most feasible, as the other two would require additional engineering that would delay the deployment, said the official, who declined to be identified, as he was not authorized to speak to media.
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