South Koreans Ignore Demands to Stop 'Useless Protest' against U.S. Missile Deployments

South Korean President Park Geun-hye has ordered the nation, "Stop the useless discussions on the US THAAD" missile defense (MD) deployment.

Korean citizens led by the major political party leaders, and most importantly local residents, are responding: "Democracy is not useless but the US THAAD might!"  They demand a democratic process from both the Korean and American governments.

The deployment decision was made unilaterally without any explanation, discussion, and consultation. In other words, this issue is not just about the offensive US THAAD in the heart of Northeast Asia that threatens regional security; it is very much about the South Korean President’s and the US Army’s shameful disregard of its neighbors (China, Russia), Korea’s democracy and especially the residents in Seongju.

Please respect and protect democracy in Korea. Support the local residents—children, parents, city councils, teachers, farmers, and the elderly in Seongju City, Gyungbook-Taegu region, who are demanding a reasonable and respectful process of addressing this issue.

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“You can't make a unilateral decision like this when about half of Seongju residents live within two kilometers of where THAAD is to be stationed”, said Bae Jae-man, a local council speaker.

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Seongju is a town of 45,000 people, many of them grow yellow melons for a living. South Korean media reported the THAAD system will be placed on a mountain where a South Korea air defense artillery unit is based. About 200 Seongju residents made a protest visit to Seoul's Defense Ministry on Wednesday.

The Pentagon maintains they need the THAAD (Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense) missile defense system to protect against North Korean missiles.  But experts maintain that the system (already deployed in Guam and Japan) is actually aimed at and would be used against China and Russia.  THAAD is just one of several varieties of MD now being deployed by the US as it encircles China and Russia.

MD systems are key elements in US first-strike attack planning.  After the US launches a first-strike aimed at Russian or Chinese nuclear forces the MD systems would 'pick off' any retaliatory strikes that might be fired.  The US Space Command annually war games such a US first-strike against Russia and China.