Cheong expected THAAD in South Korea to raise tensions, rather than deter the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)’s nuclear and missile threats, which the South Korean government cited as a main reason for the THAAD deployment on its territory.
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Pyongyang also fired three ballistic missiles, including two short-range Scuds and an intermediate-range Rodong, toward its eastern waters on Tuesday as a reaction to the deployment of the Thaad system. A senior North Korean military defector indicated the North intends to occupy the entire South Korean territory within seven days before US reinforcements arrive.
However, it’s a done deal and South Korea has to go along with this decision and this is why a good section of the population are on the streets demonstrating against THAAD.
The five-term lawmaker has been an advocate of Seoul acquiring nuclear weapons as a means to defend itself.
South Korea jams most North Korean radio frequencies but Pyongyang-based Voice of Korea broadcasts on shortwave signals which can be picked up far beyond the Korean peninsula, and are hard to jam.
Political pundits, however, said it is uncertain if Yoo’s claim will earn support from other party members, as it contradicts the government’s stance on non-proliferation.
South Korea’s president defended her plan to deploy an advanced US missile defense system on the peninsula, saying it was “inevitable” and that calls to scrap it could play into the North’s hands. It is created to intercept incoming missiles.
This satellite image taken July 14, 2016, of North Korea’s Sinpo Shipyard shows probable post-test activity at the secure boat basin.
President Park Geun-hye spoke to the National Security Council as protests continued against the U.S.-South Korean decision to station a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, known as THAAD, in the southeastern region of Seongju.
Yun told Wang that the move was aimed at protecting South Korea’s security and that it would not damage China’s security interests, Yonhap said.
North Korea said Wednesday it test-fired ballistic rockets as part of a simulated pre-emptive attack on ports and airfields in South Korea, in a likely reference to the three missile launches that Seoul says the North carried out a day earlier.
“Regardless of Chinese objections”, says Pollack, “I don’t see South Korea turning back on this decision”.
China accounted for 91 percent of North Korea’s trade in 2015, followed by Russia, India and Thailand, according to a statement from South Korea’s Trade-Investment Promotion Agency released in June.
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Banners, sashes and headbands read “Thaad deployment, absolute opposition”, while rectangle-shaped name tags hanging around the protestors’ necks bore their names, neighborhoods and – most evidently – Seongju’s slogan, “Clean Seongju”.
