[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] THAAD Deployed Normally After 6 Years

Minimal Impact on Human Health and Surrounding Environment in Environmental Impact Assessment
Infrastructure Construction and Expansion within Base Likely to Proceed
Temporarily Deployed Since Domestic Arrival in 2017

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system will be deployed normally. It has been six years since THAAD was deployed in South Korea in 2017.

On the 21st, the Ministry of National Defense announced, “The environmental impact assessment results for the THAAD base deployed in Seongju, Gyeongbuk, showed that the effects on human health and the surrounding environment are minimal,” and added, “Consultations with the Ministry of Environment have been completed.”

The environmental impact assessment was conducted as a preliminary step for normalizing the base and covered the entire facility. Regarding electromagnetic waves, which local residents were most concerned about, the maximum measured value was about 0.2% of the human protection standard, indicating minimal impact on humans and the surrounding environment.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

After deciding to deploy THAAD in South Korea in July 2016, the U.S. Forces Korea brought it into the country in April 2017. At that time, the Park Geun-hye administration only conducted a small-scale, simplified environmental impact assessment. However, after President Park was impeached and removed from office, the formal deployment of THAAD lost momentum. The Moon Jae-in administration changed the policy to conduct a full environmental impact assessment instead of a simplified one, but the process was repeatedly delayed and stalled. Due to the delay in the environmental impact assessment, some soldiers at the base lived in tents or container barracks. Complaints were raised about the poor conditions, such as insufficient sewage treatment facilities causing overflow of wastewater, making it difficult to focus on the base’s primary mission of responding to North Korea’s nuclear missile threats. The U.S. Forces Korea plans to construct or expand infrastructure within the THAAD base based on the environmental impact assessment.

However, Chinese opposition is expected. Last August, the foreign ministers of South Korea and China held talks in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China, and reportedly reached a consensus that “THAAD should not become an obstacle to the development of bilateral relations.” Nevertheless, the very next day, China claimed that “the South Korean government officially declared the ‘Three No’s and One Limit’ regarding THAAD,” sparking controversy.

The so-called ‘Three No’s’ regarding THAAD are the positions explained by the Moon Jae-in administration to China, which include: no additional deployment of THAAD in South Korea, South Korea not joining the U.S. missile defense (MD) system, and no formation of a South Korea-U.S.-Japan military alliance. In addition, China publicly mentioned the so-called ‘One Limit,’ which refers to restricting the operation of the U.S. Forces Korea’s THAAD base, thereby pressuring the South Korean government.

Our government has stated that while THAAD is an asset operated by the U.S. Forces Korea, it is also “a means to protect the lives and safety of our citizens from North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats,” and thus “is related to national security sovereignty.”