Cheong Wa Dea tries to contain fallout from shift on THAAD

South Korea’s presidential office Friday reiterated that the U.S. advanced missile system would be deployed by the end of next year as backlash continued after President Park Geun-hye suggested the day before that she was open to considering changing the deployment location.

Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Jeong Yeon-guk told reporters the president’s remarks were intended “to respond to the request for a review” from the protesting residents. He added that the government would “look into other areas, but that changing the designated site would be difficult.”

During a meeting with the ruling Saenuri lawmakers representing North Gyeongsang Province on Thursday, President Park had said that the government could think about deploying Terminal High Altitude Area Defense artillery unit to a new location within the southern city of Seongju.

The comments came amid pushback from local residents and politicians representing them for potential health and environmental reasons, as well as fear of stoking security tensions.

The southern city has been a political stronghold for the president, whose approval rating has slipped since the announcement to deploy the THAAD battery there. 

Saenuri Party leadership discuss the THAAD missile system during their morning meeting at the party’s headquarters in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

The Saenuri Party, in support of Park, said Friday the president’s position was an effort to reach out to the residents.

The opposition parties, for their part, criticized the entire deployment plan as a poorly organized government initiative.

“My understanding is the president was trying to communicate with lawmakers representing (Seongju),” said Rep. Kim Young-woo of the Saenuri Party, who chairs the National Assembly’ National Defense Committee.

The third-term lawmaker urged the government and the military to stick to the original deployment plan, saying any flip-flop on a national security matter would make the military plan vulnerable to political attack from opposition parties.

The main opposition The Minjoo Party of Korea and third-biggest People’s Party denounced the president and government for lacking a thorough plan and spurning discussion while pursuing a significant security plan.

“The government said they are pushing to deploy THAAD because our national security is at stake. Now, what they are doing seems to undermine the backbone of the government policies,” said Minjoo Party spokesperson Rep. Ki Dong-min in a statement. 

By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)