The controversial deployment of four more U.S. anti-ballistic missile launchers was an "inevitable option" taken by the Moon Jae-in government amid heighted tensions following North Korea's sixth nuclear test, the President said Friday.
He made the remark in a rare statement released Friday night, just hours before North Korea's critical founding anniversary the reclusive nation is known to mark with military provocation.
Moon said the deployment was part of efforts to settle the crisis "peacefully" and "wipe out fears of war" on the Korean Peninsula. He stressed the deployment was "temporary" and if deemed necessary will employ measures to check the health and environmental risks posed by the launchers and associated equipment, including a powerful AN/TPY-2 radar.
The statement came amid growing opposition to the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) on Korean soil among activists and residents near the deployment site in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province.
"While North Korea's nuclear and missile technologies continue to advance, we have no choice but to increase our defense capabilities to the maximum level," Moon said. "I ask for your understanding."
He said the security conditions facing the country are "very serious."
"The government will continue to fulfill its duties expected by the people under any circumstances," he said. "I ask the people to also have faith in the government's will and efforts and lend your support."
The President expressed regret over the clash between police forces and 500 local residents of Seongju, who staged a sit-in to block the additional THAAD launchers from entering the newly created military base there. The five-hour confrontation left more than two dozen people injured.
"I feel very sad to see many citizens and police officers were injured even though the government did its utmost to peacefully deal with protest rallies, unlike former administrations," Moon said.
"The government respects the concerns held by local residents about their health and the environment."
The government approved the deployment of four more THAAD launchers on Wednesday in response to Pyongyang's sixth nuclear test on Sunday.
It led to the full installation of a THAAD battery comprised of six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors (eight per launcher) and an AN/TPY-2 radar. The missile shield is only able to cover the southern half of South Korea, so the government is considering bringing more launchers to protect the northern half including Seoul.
The latest nuclear test was the culmination of the North's recent provocations with intercontinental ballistic missiles. Pyongyang has claimed it developed technology to produce miniaturized nuclear warheads and threatened to strike U.S. military bases here and overseas with long-range missiles loaded with nuclear warheads.
/Rep. Kang Ji Hyun
kbs1345@naver.com
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