USFK official initiates THAAD deployment by submitting project plan

Posted on : 2019-03-13 18:08 KST Modified on : 2019-03-13 18:08 KST
Plans reportedly includes details of anti-ballistic missile system’s composition and management
Additional construction for the USFK’s THAAD base in Seongju County
Additional construction for the USFK’s THAAD base in Seongju County

US Forces Korea (USFK) submitted a project plan on Feb. 21 for 700,000 square meters of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) base in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province, it was revealed on Mar. 12.

The plan’s submission signals that the US has officially initiated procedures for the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile system. The plan reportedly included details concerning the THAAD base’s composition and management.

“Working-level discussions are currently under way on the details of the project plan,” Ministry of National Defense (MND) Spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo said that day.

“To ensure democratic and procedural legitimacy and transparency, the government plans to perform a general environmental impact assessment according to domestic law,” she added.

For the general environment impact assessment to begin, there will first need to be a process of establishing a plan assessment deliberation council and conducting a review, drafting and discussing a preliminary assessment, holding resident hearings and briefings, and drafting and discussing the final assessment. While general environment impact assessments are reported to normally take around one year, some time may be needed for the assessment to even begin if differences emerge during deliberations or frictions erupt during the gathering of resident opinions.

Responses from China and North Korea potential variables besides environmental assessment

The responses from China and North Korea are also potential variables. China originally adopted economic retribution measures against South Korea to protest THAAD’s deployment, although relations have improved since Seoul moved on October 2017 to state a so-called “three nos” position of no additional THAAD deployments, no participation in US-led missile defense, and no pursuit of a trilateral military alliance with the US and Japan.

“With the US’ dominance clearly established in the strategic competition with China since the latter half of last year, China is not going to cross the line with its response,” predicted Korean National Diplomatic Academy professor Kim Han-kwon.

At the same time, Kim also said China would “take steps to ensure that THAAD’s role and functions are not expanded.” North Korea could also object to the official THAAD deployment as potentially creating an obstacle to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

In March 2017, the Park Geun-hye administration carried out a surprise deployment of radar and two missile launchers at the THAAD base in Seongju. A small-scale environmental impact assessment was conducted at the time on the grounds that the 320,000-square meter site donated to USFK fell below the limit of 330,000 square meters that would require procedures to gather resident opinions according to the Environmental Impact Assessment Act. It later emerged that a site measuring 700,000 square meters was donated in segments to sidestep a general environmental impact assessment.

In July 2017, the Moon Jae-in administration decided to conduct a general environmental impact assessment, citing the importance of establishing procedural legitimacy. But the official THAAD deployment had ended up delayed amid USFK’s failure to submit a project plan.

“My understanding is that it took some time for the US to review domestic environmental laws and the situation for the THAAD base in light of the South Korean environmental impact assessment system,” explained a Ministry of National Defense official.

By Yoo Kang-moon, senior staff writer, and Park Min-hee, staff reporter

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]

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