Korea to evaluate alternative site for THAAD deployment

South Korea's defense ministry on Monday said it will check alternative sites for the deployment of an advanced US missile defense system after residents of Seongju county formally requested that other locations be examined for suitability.

The announcement came as residents living near a state-chosen site for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense asked Seoul to review different sites within their county to deploy the defensive system, instead of the original site, which is currently used as a South Korean air defense base.

In July, Seoul and Washington agreed to place a THAAD battery in Seongju, about 296 kilometers southeast of Seoul, by the end of next year in a bid to counter North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats.

But the decision has invited fierce opposition from local residents who argue that the system poses health problems. The government has maintained that the battery and the radar pose no threats to people.

The government recently said it can consider other options if local residents accept an alternative site for the THAAD battery.

"The government plans to evaluate candidate locations which are being mentioned for an alternative site for the THAAD deployment as soon as possible," said an official at the Ministry of National Defense.

But the ministry made it clear that the evaluation of other locations does not mean that the allies' initial decision to place the battery at the air defense base will be scrapped.

"Until the outcome for the evaluation comes out, Seoul and Washington's original deployment decision remains intact," the official said.

An area near a golf course in northern Seongju is emerging as a likely alternative site as it is located higher than the government-chosen site, and there are fewer people living nearby.

But if the golf course is picked as the new deployment site, it could also invite another protest from the nearby Gimcheon county. (Yonhap)