THAAD Base in South Korea Could Reach Permanent Status as Early as July

It is pretty ridiculous that six years after first being installed the environmental review for the THAAD base in Seongju still is just about to be complete. This shows that this was really not an environmental review, but instead a political review by the prior administration to keep the site temporary:

The government is anticipated to take steps to turn the THAAD base into a permanent installation as early as July, when the Ministry of Environment is expected to draw conclusions on its ongoing environmental impact assessments.

Once the environment ministry gives the green light, the U.S. army will be allowed to initiate a process of building infrastructure and facilities for the THAAD base.

While concerns are rising that Seoul’s moves may draw fierce protests from Beijing, analysts viewed that China now has fewer retaliatory options compared to the ones it had in 2017, considering its economic slowdown and escalating competition with Washington.

“China will increase threats as the [South] Korean government continues to turn the THAAD unit into a permanent base, but it is unlikely to impose stronger sanctions than the ones we’ve seen in 2017,” said Kang Joon-young, a professor of Chinese studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.

“Amid escalating rivalry with the U.S., China seems to be less willing to become enemies with its neighboring countries. And North Korea’s evolving nuclear threats justify the South Korean government’s rationale for pursuing stronger self-defense,” he added. 

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.