As Donald Trump [7] and and Kim Jong-un exchange nuclear threats [8], anti-missile protesters in rural South Korea scored a win, prompting Seoul to delay plans to expand the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD [9]) battery that the Pentagon installed in April. On Aug. 10, the South Korean government announced indefinite postponement of a study to measure levels of noise and electromagnetic pollution from the THAAD anti-ballistic missile system, responding to an ongoing protest campaign by local residents and activists. The ministries of National Defense [10] and Environment [11] planned to begin the survey in the village of Seongju, where the battery has been placed, on the same day the postponement was announced. The announcement came as villagers and activists were blocking the road to the THAAD base.
President Moon Jae-in [12] ordered the survey in June, shortly after taking office in the wake of national protests [13] that brought down his predecessor. A THAAD battery typically consists of six launchers, 48 interceptors, a communications unit, and a radar installation. Two of the launchers have been operational since April. After North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July, Moon said the remaining four launchers would be deployed to counter the threat. The expansion is now on hold due to the delay in the impact survey.
Residents living near the site, however, are still demanding a full environmental impact study, which would require the withdrawal of the anti-missile system and take about a year to conduct. (Korea JoongAng Daily [14], Yonhap [15], Aug. 10)
