Residents in southern city of Gimcheon to hold rally against THAAD

Residents of South Korea's southern city of Gimcheon will stage a rally Wednesday to protest the government's decision to review an alternative site for the deployment of a US anti-missile system.

About 10,000 residents are expected to gather at a sports complex in the city in North Gyeongsang Province, to protest the decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system and denounce the neighboring county of Seongju for asking that the site be changed.

Earlier this week, the government said it will review an alternative site for the deployment of THAAD after Seongju residents living near the state-chosen site called on Seoul to examine other locations within the county.

When a golf course in northern Seongju emerged as a likely alternative site, nearby residents in Gimcheon started voicing their opposition.

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. (Yonhap)