South Korea Selects THAAD Site: A Golf Course


After protests to the original siting decision, South Korea has decided to move the deployment site for the American Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to near a golf course in Seongju county. An agreement to deploy the system to South Korea was made in July and soon after Seoul announced that it would be deployed to Seongju county. However, the decision was met with criticism by the local population due to the chosen location being in a farming and residential sector of the county. Military officials, alongside Seongju county officials, then began considering other site alternatives, and ultimately chose the Lotte Skyhill Seongju Country Club in Chojeon-myeon (also in Seongju county). Despite the area reportedly being more isolated from civilian life, nearby residents had previously voiced that there would be significant protests if the site was selected.