Equipment delivered to Thaad base as protests continue

The Korean and U.S. militaries delivered equipment to the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) unit in Seongju, North Gyeongsang early Sunday despite local opposition.

In this photo taken by a local civic group, vehicles and equipment enter the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) base in Seongju, North Gyeongsang under heavy police protection early Sunday. [YONHAP]

The Korean and U.S. militaries delivered equipment to the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) unit in Seongju, North Gyeongsang early Sunday as the government takes steps to ensure continuous access to the base and prepare for the system to be properly operational despite local opposition.

Equipment from the United States Forces Korea (USFK) and the Korean military was delivered to the base in Seongju at around 1:30 a.m., according to the Soseong-ri Situation Room, a local civic group opposed to the deployment of the Thaad system.

Thaad is a U.S. missile defense system designed to shoot down short, medium, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles in their re-entry phase. The system is deployed to protect U.S. military assets in Korea.

Sunday’s delivery of equipment and materials needed for construction work and maintenance of the unit was the first to take place over a weekend since May 2021, when the USFK and Defense Ministry began sending equipment to remodel troops’ barracks.

Deliveries of essential supplies for soldiers stationed at the Thaad unit took place two to three times a week until June, when deliveries began taking place every weekday.

Shipments to the base are greeted with opposition from local protesters, who usually try to impede road access to the base.

The government had pledged to secure unfettered road access by the end of August, not only to facilitate ease of deliveries but also to relieve the pressure on police resources.

According to the civic group, around 10 vehicles made their way to the base on Sunday, including a bulldozer, a fueling vehicle and a van.

Local residents rushed to the site to protest after hearing the sound of the delivery vehicles.

The civic group claimed the police and the Defense Ministry used the cover of darkness to make a sudden delivery after informing them that no deliveries would be made over the weekend.

The system’s deployment is opposed by people who live nearby and activist groups who argue that the system is a prime target in the event of war. Some also claim that its radar could sicken people.

Thaad uses a high-resolution radar designed to detect and track ballistic missile threats at long distances and high altitudes. The system’s radar and infrared seeking technology are used to guide six mobile launchers and 48 interceptor missiles.

The Defense Ministry tried to dispel rumors about the radar’s alleged adverse health effects in 2016 by demonstrating to reporters that a similar radar used by currently deployed Patriot missile systems emits electromagnetic waves well below the limit set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection’s guidelines.

Despite being installed in 2017, the Thaad system in Seongju remains only “temporarily installed” — meaning it is not currently in operation — because it has not yet undergone an official environmental impact assessment.

Its legal limbo status has hindered development of the surrounding area — formerly a golf course owned by the Lotte Group — into an actual military base.

U.S. and South Korean military personnel posted to the site are housed in shipping containers converted into makeshift barracks.

The Defense Ministry announced Tuesday that it will begin the assessment and wrap it up within nine months.

The ministry also promised to confer with residents of Seongju throughout the process.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]