World: THAAD can be used to ‘impeach’ Park

Public mood changing: politician

A South Korean opposition party candidate said it is possible to impeach President Park Geun-hye over her turning a blind eye to growing public opposition over the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) on the country’s soil.

Kim Sang-gon, one of three candidates running for leadership of the main opposition Minju Party, said that if Park continues to close her ears to public dissent over THAAD, impeachment demands would be inevitable.

His comments were made during a joint debate among the candidates, according to local conservative daily Chosun Ilbo, amid mounting objections from the public and opposition lawmakers toward Seoul and Washington’s decision to house one THAAD battery in southeastern South Korea by the end of next year.

Asked repeatedly about whether he would lead the impeachment move, Kim said he would play a pivotal role if a majority of people want it and the party decides on it.

Voices against THAAD are growing louder in the Minju Party as Kim and another candidate, Choo Mi-ae, demand more aggressive opposition to the US missile defense battery, while another candidate Lee Jong-geol is calling for a parliamentary ratification over THAAD.

As the ruling Saenuri Party lost its majority in the April general elections, it would be impossible for the THAAD deployment to be ratified through the National Assembly.

The People’s Party and the minor Justice Party have strongly opposed the US anti-missile system installation.

Kim said at a radio program on Tuesday that people can reckon on impeachment if Park continues to run counter to public opinion, which is split over the THAAD deployment.

But many of those in the 20-40 age group see the US missile defense system as causing a number of negative effects militarily, diplomatically and economically.

With the THAAD deployment, South Korea will face difficulties in asking for cooperation from China and Russia to deal with the Korean Peninsula’s nuclear issue as the deployment decision came despite repeated objections from the two neighboring countries who are concerned about the reach of the system’s powerful radar.