S.Korean President to take cautious approach to THAAD issue

Seoul, May 19 (IANS): South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday said he will take a cautious approach to the issue of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) missile system.

Moon made the remarks at a meeting with floor leaders of the five major parties, including the ruling Democratic Party, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, the centrist People’s Party, the minor conservative Righteous Party and the minor liberal Justice Party, Xinhua news agency quoted presidential spokesman Park Su-hyun as saying.

Moon’s special envoys arrived in Beijing and Washington earlier this week to explain the new government’s stance on the issues facing the Korean Peninsula.

On April 26, part of THAAD elements, including two mobile launchers, radar and other equipment, were secretly transported to a golf course at Soseong-ri village in Seongju county in North Gyeongsang province.

The golf course, which the Lotte Group, the country’s fifth-biggest conglomerate, had owned, was designated as a site for THAAD that Seoul and Washington agreed in July last year to deploy in South Korea.

The secret transportation caused a strong backlash from residents and peace activists who had stood guard beside the entrance road to the golf course to block any further deployment of other THAAD elements.

A THAAD battery is composed of six mobile launchers, 48 interceptors, the AN/TPY-2 radar and the fire and control unit.

A special committee of the ruling party announced its plan to push for parliamentary hearings on the THAAD deployment decision to find any illegitimacy and illegality in the decision-making process.