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.

--IANS
py/bg