He made the trip to try and reassure area residents that the electromagnetic waves emitted from THAAD’s radar system will not impact their health and that the government was extremely cautious in making the decision.
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Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Unification issued separate statements warning that Seoul will not tolerate continued verbal attacks and other provocative acts by the North.
The agreement came during a trilateral meeting between South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Thursday (local time), the ministry said in a press release.
In March, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong announced that the U.S. and its allies were engaged in what he referred to as a “human rights racket” against Pyongyang in which so-called North Korean defectors received over $5,000 to “fabricate” lies about the situation in the country.
“At present, domestic opposition by the public in the South against policy and actions by the government in Seoul – as well as the continued USA military presence – mostly just serves propaganda purposes for the North to show examples of problems in the political situation there”.
The otherwise restful town has been roiled by angry protests since Wednesday when thousands took to the street carrying banners reading “We absolutely oppose THAAD deployment”.
US and South Korean officials have said the THAAD system only targets North Korea, not China or anyone else. They said officials never consulted them before announcing the decision.
“We strongly condemn the North’s nonsensical slandering aimed at dividing our society”, the ministry said in a statement. Pyongyang has slammed Seoul and Washington for pushing United Nations sanctions against the North’s nuclear and missile programs.
A poll showed Friday that around half of South Koreans support the deployment of THAAD in the country.
South Korean President Park Geun-Hye said this week the existential threat posed by North Korea’s increasing nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities has prompted the government to quickly bolster its missile defenses.
In contrast, 50 percent of the followers of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea expressed discontent against the move.
Almost half of respondents said they were willing to host the THAAD system in their neighborhood, while 39 percent said they would oppose the move.
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The announcement sparked fury among the town’s residents, who say the THAAD deployment would ruin their melon farming and cause health and environmental hazards.
