Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn visited the town of Seongju, which was tapped as the site for the deployment of an advanced US missile defense system, on Friday, in the face of strong opposition from the residents who questioned the safety and legitimacy of the government’s decision.
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Lim held a joint press conference with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama after the three met for talks, during which they condemned North Korea for its nuclear and missile provocations and backed global sanctions against the regime.
During his visit, however, protesters threw water bottles and eggs at Hwang, reflecting their anger over the deployment.
“The government will do its best so the residents can live their daily lives without any concern”, said Hwang, accompanied by senior government officials including Defence Minister Han Min-koo.
The allies said Wednesday that they have picked the southern county of Seongju, about 219 kilometers southeast of Seoul, to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system by the end of 2017, a move aimed at countering North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats.
He said the government would work with the community to choose the specific location of the defense system and to address safety concerns.
Experts said that the selection of the southern county would also make it hard for North Korea to target the THAAD battery with its new high-caliber multiple rocket launchers.
“You bastard”, a protestor shouted, according to Yonhap news agency.
“Ko Hyon-chol, and return them to us without delay”, the South’s unification ministry said in a statement.
The statement also warned that the Park administration will “have to pay most severely and bitterly” for this decision as it has “submitted to the U.S.” and “offered the Korean Peninsula to foreign forces”.
Seoul and Washington began their formal discussions on the THAAD deployment after North Korea conducted a fourth nuclear test and carried about a long-range rocket launch earlier this year.
The DPRK on Monday vowed to take physical countermeasures against the THAAD deployment in South Korea, threatening “merciless retaliatory strikes to reduce South Korea to a sea of flames”.
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(Stand-up) “Vice Foreign Minister Lim said South Korea is seeking to send a clear message to North Korea on the firm resolve of the worldwide community at upcoming multilateral meetings, such as the Asean Regional Forum, the East Asia Summit and the UN General Assembly”. Seoul officials have said the 13 people chose of their own will to come to South Korea.
