hankyoreh

protesting the selection of Seongju as the site for the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system

The floor leadership of the Saenuri Party traveled to Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, on the morning of July 26 and found itself greeted with banners bluntly criticizing President Park Geun-hye. They included the kind of vehement language that was not present just after the administration’s July 13 announcement of plans to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in the community. Some even called directly for Park to resign.

There were banners that read:

“We’ve killed Park Geun-hye in our hearts.”

“An alternative to THAAD? How about impeaching Park Geun-hye?”

“The Saenuri Party is an icon of betrayal. And Park Geun-hye is its leader!”

Around 400 Seongju residents staged a “funeral” for the party in front of the county office for the visit by floor leader Chung Jin-suk and other members of the Saenuri leadership. The message, they said, was that they are “saying goodbye to the party in our hearts.” Dressed in funeral clothes and carrying a coffin, residents sang a song with the lyrics, “THAAD is coming to peaceful Seongju / Gone / Gone / Seongju hearts and minds are gone.”

North Gyeongsang Province hold a mock funeral for the ruling Saenuri Party

Chung and his entourage initially tried to avoid the locals through a side entrance, but ended up using the front door instead when residents yelled, “Use the front door if you’re honest.” Around 1,000 people have put their names down at a reception desk set up by the Seongju Committee for the Withdrawal of the THAAD Deployment on the county office’s front lawn for applications to leave the Saenuri Party.

Chung‘s group also held a talk in the county office’s main conference room with around 200 local residents. The visiting delegation included party policy committee chairperson Kim Gwang-lim, senior deputy floor leader Kim Do-eup, floor spokespeople Kim Myung-yeon and Kim Jung-jae, lawmakers Lee Cheol-woo and Yi Wan-young, lawmaker and acting North Gyeongsang Province party committee chairperson Baek Seung-joo, Ministry of National Defense planning and coordination office chief Hwang Hee-jong, first vice minister of the Prime Minister‘s secretariat Oh Kyun, North Gyeongsang Gov. Kim Kwan-yong, and Seongju County mayor Kim Hang-gon.

Residents of Seongju

“During our July 13 protest visit to the Ministry of National Defense [in Seoul], Minister Han Min-koo said he would release the assessment standards for the THAAD deployment region, but they still haven’t been made public,” one resident noted. “Meanwhile, you can read the Guam THAAD deployment report on the internet.”

Hwang, from the Defense Ministry, told the attendees that he did not “have the authority [to release the information] as a working-level official” but would “report to the Minister,” leading to a harsh protest from agitated residents.

“The Minister told us he’d release [the information]!” one cried.

“Then why did you come here?” another asked Hwang regarding his comments about not having the necessary authority.

A harried Chung attempted to pacify residents, saying that “even the government can’t force Seongju residents to simply make a sacrifice.”

“There needs to be a scientific testing process with Seongju residents present. After all, it will be very difficult to make the THAAD deployment happen without their support,” he added.

At the same time, Chung also pleaded for the “forming of a dialogue body to come to an ultimate resolution on this issue.” In response to resident demands for a THAAD hearing, Chung said, “If necessary, there is no reason we can’t have measures that go beyond a hearing.”

Residents also called for the visitors to “seriously propose” a Seongju visit by President Park.

“My understanding is that such requests have been made indirectly several times,” replied Chung.

Despite lasting over 80 minutes, the talk failed to bridge differences between the two sides. Waiting residents outside the office continued to wail and stage their funeral performance as the Saenuri Party leaders departed.

By Lee Kyung-mi, staff reporter in Seongju

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