The Korea Herald

피터빈트

Govt. to conduct on-site environmental survey of THAAD next week

By Kim Min-joo

Published : Aug. 4, 2017 - 11:51

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The South Korean government said Friday it will conduct an on-site environmental survey next week of the THAAD missile defense system deployed in a southern area.

The move is part of the "small-scale" environmental impact assessment that started in December, and now is in the home stretch, said the Ministry of National Defense.

(Yonhap) (Yonhap)

The ministry has commissioned a contractor to draw up a related report.

The Ministry of Environment will form a team, including civilian experts, for the on-site study of the THAAD base in Seongju, slated for Thursday, aimed at verifying the report, according to the MND.

It plans to "review the appropriateness of such measurements as the level of electromagnetic radiation and noise," added the ministry.

South Korea provided the US Forces Korea with a 328,779 square-meter area at a former golf course in Seongju, some 300 kilometers south of Seoul.

Two THAAD launchers and a powerful X-band radar are in "field" or tentative operation there. The South Korean authorities' environmental survey is a prerequisite for the permanent installation of the military equipment.

South Korea has decided to conduct an additional environmental evaluation on the site, where the USFK is preparing to deploy four more THAAD launchers. (Yonhap)