Tag: THAAD

Over at Reddit they have a translation to this Kyunghyang Shimun article that claims that the THAAD radar is making people sick and even crazy in Japan:

A reporter from the paper went to Kyoto Japan where a Thaad radar facility is located. There, he found that Japanese residents were suffering from serious health problems including lack of breast milk from mothers, severe headaches, insomnia, and other side effects. The most severe side effect was the constant droning sound of power being fed into the facility which is driving the people living near it, crazy. The paper interviewed one Japanese resident who said even standing near the Thaad facility for 30 minutes makes him throw up. The concern in the Japanese village is that there is no study done on the effects of constant electronic magnetic signals. The paper also says that a few residents welcome the Thaad station because they profit from the central government rewarding the town with subsidies for hosting Thaad. But the reporter says the more reasonable Japanese residents who don’t care about money, are warning the Seongju residents to not ignore the harmful effects of the radar system which can’t been seen with human eyes.  [Reddit]

First of all the radar in Japan is not a THAAD battery, it is a forward based AN/TPY-2 radar site in Kyoga-Misaki that uses the same radar antenna as a THAAD battery.  Secondly this is just another example of how the leftists in the Korean media are going to distort and lie to push their political agenda just like what happened in 2008 with the phony US beef crisis.

Why doesn’t this reporter request to interview the soldiers that are around this radar every single day and see if they are getting sick and going crazy?

In regards to the political opposition to the THAAD deployment to South Korea facts do not matter.  We saw this before with the US beef protests.  For those that do care about facts, the US military yesterday opened its THAAD base on Guam to reporters and test the electromagnetic waves from the radar.  Here is what they found:

The United States disclosed its advanced anti-ballistic missile battery in Guam to South Korean media on Monday to help allay fears about the health risks linked to the system’s powerful X-band radar.

A pool of Korean reporters visited the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in northern Guam, a part of Andersen Air Force Base, so they could check for themselves the major issues related to the electromagnetic waves emanating from the AN/TPY-2 radar and the noise level of the emergency generators.

Using equipment brought from Seoul, military officials of both the U.S. and Korea measured the levels of electromagnetic waves from the THAAD radar for the first six minutes at a point 1.6 kilometers away from the THAAD unit after it was activated. The measurement conditions in Guam were set similarly to those in Seongju, the selected site for South Korea’s first THAAD.

The radar waves reached a maximum of 0.0007 watt per square meter, accounting for 0.007 percent of the 10 watts per square meter maximum permitted under Korean laws.

Robert F. Hedelund, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Korea, told reporters that the THAAD battery does not hurt the health and safety of the unit’s operators, soldiers or residents nearby and that the safety standards that apply to the Guam THAAD unit are higher than those recommended by the U.S. government. He said the Guam base’s safety standards will be applied to Korea’s THAAD battery.

Another U.S. military official on the U.S. Pacific territory said that as the U.S. has a duty to protect its own soldiers and residents in adjacent towns, every effort will be made to make sure the THAAD battery to be set up in Korea will be operated safely.

As for the noise level of generators near the THAAD radar, soldiers working at the site do have to wear earplugs, but the noise is no longer an issue at about 500 meters away, the commander explained.

The U.S. military said as Korea’s THAAD system will get its power mainly from the commercial grid, not from emergency generators, soldiers and residents will not be affected by the noise.  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link, but like I said facts don’t matter to the political opposition so expect to continue to hear about the health and environmental risks of THAAD in South Korea.  However, this visit at least allows supporters of the deployment to have hard evidence to point to in order to counter claims from the political opposition.

With the environmental concerns floundering this how the Korea Times decided to approach the THAAD visit by insinuating that the system doesn’t work:

When the two allies announced the deployment of the advanced anti-missile defense system in Korea, July 8, they stressed that the deployment will greatly enhance Seoul’s ability to deal with North Korea’s evolving nuclear and ballistic missile threats. But some experts still question the capability of the system.

Lockheed Martin, the producer of THAAD, said that the battery was nearly 100 percent successful in interception tests, but critics claim that such tests took place under defined conditions, and that THAAD has been never utilized in practice.

In addition, skepticism over the system has been also raised as Seoul and its surrounding area, with a population of roughly 25 million and major facilities, are out of its coverage range. The missile interceptor has an effective range of 200 kilometers, while Seongju is located 290 kilometers southeast of Seoul.  [Korea Times]

Of course tests are under defined conditions which get increasingly more complicated.  The last flight test for THAAD featured it conducting a joint live fire with the Aegis SM-3 system and was successful in shooting down all targets.  As far as being used in combat this is an impossible argument to counter because the system is new and there has not been a need to use it in combat.  As far as defending Seoul there are already Patriot systems in Korea that can defend Seoul.  The THAAD has always been intended to defend areas in the southern region of the peninsula.

In the coming weeks it should be interesting to see if the opposition to THAAD tries to change their message to focus more on the China and the THAAD doesn’t work angles to justify their opposition.

Members of conservative youth groups stage a performance lampooning North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on a street in central Seoul on July 14, 2016, to back a recent decision to deploy an advanced U.S. missile defense system in South Korea. North Korea has warned of “physical action” against the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) aimed at countering the North’s missile threats. (Yonhap)

Once again due to Korean media lies we have mad cow 2.0 happening over the THAAD deployment to South Korea.  Fortunately this is happening in a rural area of Korea and not Seoul where the Korean left would be able to mobilize huge crowds more easily.  We will see what happens when the usual suspects such as the KCTU will likely get involved in this.  I would not be surprised if the Korean left tries to makes this look like Camp Humphreys back in 2005 to get this battery installed in Seongju.  If the US military was smart they would wait until after the summer protest season to deploy this battery to Korea.  The Korean left will not be able to mobilize huge crowds in the freezing cold of January in rural Korea:

An angry mob of Seongju residents besieged the prime minister for more than six hours on Friday during his visit to the southeastern rural town to explain the government’s recent decision to place a controversial U.S.-led missile defense system in their neighborhood.

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, accompanied by Minister of National Defense Han Min-koo and Vice Minister of Interior Kim Sung-lyul, traveled to Seongju, North Gyeongsang, in the morning to meet with residents after Seongsan-ri of Seongju, a village with about 2,800 people, was selected Wednesday as the site to host the U.S. Forces Korea’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) system.

After arriving in Seongju by a helicopter, they met with North Gyeongsang Governor Kim Kwan-yong and visited the artillery base in Seongsan-ri. A Korean Air Force artillery unit currently stationed there will be relocated and the U.S. military will install the Thaad system by the end of next year.

Hwang then arrived at the Seongju County Office and met with Kim Hang-gon, head of the county, who has been on a hunger strike in protest. About 3,000 angry residents were waiting for Hwang and pelted him with eggs and poured water on him.

The quiet farming town of Seongju, with a population of about 45,000, has become extremely volatile since residents fear the deployment for security and health concerns. North Korea warned of a physical response to the Thaad base, while concerns were also raised that the electromagnetic waves emitted from the Thaad radar are harmful to humans. The government said the radar poses no harm to humans outside of its 100-meter (328-foot) radius.  [Joong Ang Ilbo]

You can read more at the link, but as I have been saying repeatedly the safe keep out zones for the THAAD radar are well known, but leftists in the Korean media continue to publish articles claiming THAAD is going to make people sick.  What seems lost to these people is that US soldiers work around this radar every day, so using their logic US soldiers must have some magical immunity to these scary electromagnetic waves that can some how magically make only Koreans sick.

Is THAAD the new Fan Death of Korea?

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn inspects the candidate site for an advanced U.S. missile defense system in Seongju, a county about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on July 15, 2016. His visit came in the face of strong opposition from residents, who are worried about health risks from the missile system’s powerful radar and question the murkiness of the site selection. (Yonhap)

China has a long ways to go to restore their “Shang Guo” status in South Korea if they continue to be viewed as regional bullies which is once again how they appear with their recent reactions to both the South China Sea International Court ruling and the decision to deploy THAAD to South Korea:

In the past, China was both “da guo” and “shang guo” to Koreans. China was a powerful and highly civilized nation that smaller neighboring countries admired. This involved a historical mentality of respect that Koreans attached in reverence to a big and powerful country. But not anymore. The Chinese authors conclude: “For South Koreans, today’s ‘shang guo’ is the United States, not China” (p. 179).

The authors call on China to reclaim its high position that commands respect from Koreans by establishing superiority.

“Therefore, until the time when China completely establishes its superiority to South Korea, the (negative) image South Koreans have about China will not likely have a fundamental shift.” (p. 186–87).

Since the Chinese authors did not elaborate on it further, there is no way to know what they meant by “establishing superiority to South Korea.” This could mean that China would need to upgrade its soft-power leverage toward South Korea. This could also indicate China’s determination to outstrip South Korea in terms of economic, political and cultural prowess, a position that would make South Koreans feel overwhelmed, like in the old days. Or, it may refer to its willingness to use physical means to subjugate South Korea. The interpretation is open, debatable and includes uncertainty. This ambiguity is unhelpful as it generates uneasiness in the minds of South Koreans toward China’s future power projections.

Overall, the book reads very much like a self-conscious image-journal of China, baffled by why South Korea, its former tributary, does not revere the Middle Kingdom emperor anymore. I think this is a loaded question that the Chinese already know the answer to. Just look at the widespread panic in South Korea regarding China’s “imminent” retaliation over THAAD. [Korea Times]

You can read more at the link, but the way the ruling communist party has promoted nationalism to cement their legitimacy they can’t afford to be malevolent towards South Korea.

The Korean government has realized that the only card the protesters of the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system have to play is that the electromagnetic waves from the radar will harm people.  This is a well used tactic by leftists protesters and their media allies which worked brilliantly for them in 2008 when they passed off lies about US beef that nearly toppled then President Lee Myung-Bak:

The U.S. military will open its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) base in Guam to the South Korean media next week in an effort to dispel concerns here over deployment of the anti-missile system, according to military sources, Wednesday.

“The U.S. Army will open its THAAD facilities in Guam to South Korean journalists from July 17 to 19,” a military official said. “It will help them understand how the battery is operated and address any concerns about safety issues.”

It is the first time the U.S. Army has allowed foreign media access to the THAAD facilities, according to the official.

The South Korean military said journalists from seven outlets, including Hankyoreh and the Chosun Ilbo, will visit the base.

The move is seen as an attempt to quell controversy in South Korea over a THAAD deployment and ease public concerns over potentially harmful electromagnetic waves from the X-band radar that comes with the system. [Korea Times]

Here is the part of the article that I have been saying for months, the ROK already has air defense radars deployed around the country and no one protested them:

“Questions over harmful effects of electromagnetic waves emitted from THAAD’s X-band radar have been raised,” a defense ministry official said. “But they are no stronger than patriot or green pine radar. We are hoping to ease safety concerns surrounding the THAAD system.”

You can read more at the link.

As far as what I have read in the media USFK has never publicly said that the THAAD deployment to South Korea was intended to defend Seoul.  The deployment has always been pitched as adding protection against longer range missiles the North Koreans have fielded that the Patriot missile system cannot intercept.  North Korea is not going to use a long range missile on Seoul when shorter range missiles and artillery can strike the capitol city.  Where they would use their longer range missiles is against Busan thus why THAAD needs to be positioned in the southern area of the Korean peninsula:

Along with the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) system to South Korea, military authorities are working on a separate missile defense plan to protect Seoul and the surrounding area from attack by Pyongyang.

A high-ranking Korean military official told the JoongAng Ilbo on Monday, “There is a high likelihood that the final site for the Thaad system, which Korea and the U.S. are deciding on now, may be a location that might make it difficult to protect the Seoul metropolitan area, so we are making preparations.”

A working group established by Seoul and Washington to discuss the placement of the U.S. Forces Korea anti-missile system began in March. During the initial discussion over where to place a Thaad battery, Korea proposed a site in the central region. Washington preferred a more southern site to cover Busan, the site of the U.S. Naval Forces Korea headquarters, and its other military assets.

One government official familiar with the negotiation process over Thaad said, “The United States has said that the Thaad battery had to be out of reach of North Korea’s new 300 multiple rocket launch system, which has a range of 200 kilometers (124 miles), and in an emergency situation, should protect U.S. military personnel.”

The official continued, “The specific location cannot be revealed, but to my knowledge, the Thaad will be deployed to a southern-central region so that in case of an emergency it can protect the Busan port and other areas that will be used by U.S. troops from North Korea’s missile attack.”  [Joong Ang Ilbo]

You can read more at the link.

That is what editorial writer Oh Young-jin for the Korea Times thinks:

The ongoing controversy over the terminal high-altitude area defense (THAAD), the U.S.-made missile defense system, has similarities with the mad cow crisis.

The THAAD case could be as explosive in its consequences as the U.S. beef case. Already, the citizens of the areas that are reported to be on the shortlist of candidates are up in arms, some organizing committees and others pressuring their political representatives. It is the exhibition of the selfish “not-in-my-backyard” mentality. But they can’t be blamed for not wanting to be targeted by the first wave of North Korean attacks that concentrate on strategic military assets such as THAAD or the expected losses in their property values.

Making their protests as political as the mad cow protests is the fact that the country is about to enter an election cycle ahead of the December 2017 presidential poll. Buffeted in not-so-small measures by the THAAD brouhaha, President Park Geun-hye saw her approval ratings fall dramatically. Especially noteworthy is the record low of popular support in her regional power centers in North Gyeongsang Province and Daegu. Chilgok and Waegwan, both in North Gyeongsang Province, are reportedly included on the shortlist.

Even if the THAAD controversy doesn’t lead to the massive protests that the U.S. beef incident did, a strong impact could be felt at the ballot boxes. Already, lawmakers from Park’s governing Saenuri Party are agitated, with some making clear their opposition to the THAAD development. Certainly in their calculus are more minuses than pluses for the chances of their party’s standard bearer to win the December 2017 election.  [Korea Times]

You can read more at the link, but what Oh Young-jin misses is that despite the protests created by the lies about US beef pushed by leftist groups and their media allies South Korean conservatives still won the next election.  This largely because the lies were exposed for what they were.  The protests against THAAD are the same thing people pushing lies.  Just like other radars, the THAAD system has a safe keep out zone that the military will position so that it will not harm anyone.  The ROK military currently has Patriot and Green Pine radars positioned around the country and we saw no protests about those because there was no political incentive to lie about the safety of those radars like we are seeing with THAAD.

Like I said in my previous posting, I had a little confidence that the ROK would be able to keep the deployment location of the THAAD battery in South Korea secret if this report is accurate:

South Korea and the United States are likely to deploy an advanced U.S. missile defense system to Seongju county in the south central region of the country, a military source said Tuesday.

As early as next week, Seoul and Washington are likely to announce where they will place the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, said the official source who declined to be identified. The source also said the Seongsan-ri region of the county, about 296 km south of Seoul, will be chosen as the site of the missile system.

The two countries evaluated that the location is optimal, given that the site is suitable for military operations and is sparsely populated, the insider said.

“The allies have reached an understanding that Seongju, which already has the Air Force’s Hawk surface-to-air missile battery, is the best location for the THAAD system,” he said, adding that they are awaiting final approval from their respective national military authorities. [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link, but according to the article residents in the county are preparing to protest the decision.  At this point I don’t even know if the residents even realize what they are protesting against?  The THAAD is going on military land thus no civilian land will be taken and there is no danger from the radar as long as it is positioned 100 meters from homes which is assuredly will.

Plus there is already a Hawk radar at the location that the ROK Air Force is using and no one is protesting that?