People from Seongju county hold the national flags of South Korea and banners to protest against the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), during a rally in Seoul, capital of South Korea, on July 21, 2016. (Xinhua/Yao Qilin)
It is not difficult to feel how deeply and severely locals are enraged at their government, which agreed with the United States to deploy Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in their hometown.
Banners expressing opposition to the U.S. missile defense system are found almost everywhere inside the Seongju county, in which one THAAD battery is set to be installed by the end of next year. Many are found wearing a band around heads that reads "Absolute Objection to THAAD."
Struggle Committee to Secure Retraction of the THAAD Deployment, composed of Seongju residents, held its first press conference on Tuesday in the county office, about 250 km southeast of capital Seoul.
Baek Cheol-hyun, co-chair of the committee, censured hot-headed, indiscreet, closed-door decision on the THAAD deployment, demanding a complete nullification.
"In case of Japan, it took nearly two years to decide on where to place THAAD. After that, more than 15 rounds of explanation sessions were held for residents, but there remain troubles until now. That's what I know about,"said Baek.
He said Seongju residents are very infuriated as the Park Geun-hye government never went through any of those procedures, before declaring the deployment out of the blue.
"Seongju was 100 percent a region supporting the ruling party. When President Park Geun-hye was elected (in late 2012), Seongju had the highest supporting rate of 86 percent. Despite that, people have changed completely and are very much disappointed (at President Park),"said Baek.
Public opinion here is changing into more objections to THAAD in their homeland. According to a survey of 1,000 adults conducted by local newspaper Media Today between July 21 and 22, 53.1 percent demanded re-negotiation of the deployment decision. Calls for the installation as planned took up 42.6 percent.
It was a shift from local pollster Realmeter's February survey that showed 49.4 percent in favor of and 42.3 percent against the THAAD deployment. Growing awareness about what THAAD is helped more people change positions.
"We had never heard of the word, THAAD, before. All of sudden, Seongju residents began to stay all night to study THAAD, search on the Internet and share information. We've got to know what THAAD is, so we continue to deliver a message that THAAD must not be deployed in any place of our soil," said Baek.
In front of the county office, a signature-collecting campaign is going on to relay it to White House to show how many residents are protesting against the U.S. weapons system.
"I was very perplexed at the THAAD deployment in Seongju. It did harms to all Seongju residents. Fields of watermelon and oriental melon were plowed down. It was all messed up. I'm positive against it,"said Park Gye-soon, a Seongju resident who helps gather anti-THAAD signatures.
Oriental melon farming is an economic mainstay of the county, which yields more than 70 percent of the country's total melon crops. THAAD's X-band radar is known to emit super-strong microwave detrimental to human body. It also causes an environmental hazard, boosting concerns about the farming in Seongju.
Kim Young-geun, a resident who lives and farms about 1 km away from the designated site, said"THAAD will be placed just in front of my home. How could we live with the microwave? Those living around here are all against it. It is what must not happen."
Shin Jeong-geun recently plowed down his oriental melon field to show his fury over and protest against the THAAD deployment, which the Seongju resident described as the declaration of"your life having little time left to live."
"I just wanted to show even a worm can turn. Farmers are neither dogs nor pigs. We are humans able to think. I wonder whether to stop farming or not. This is a soil that I borrow from future generations," said Shin.
While riding a taxi to visit the site on a hill, where 48 interceptors, six mobile launchers, an X-band radar and fire control system will be installed, five police checkpoints and one military checkpoint were encountered. Seongju residents are prohibited from approaching there.
The tax driver said many of real estate contracts are being cancelled near newly launched industrial complexes. Those who once had plans to settle down in the beautiful county gave up down payments to avoid residence faced with the U.S. weapons system.
Around 1,000 Seongju residents gather at a parking lot in the county office every night to hold a candlelight rally. On Tuesday night, it rained for two hours from 8 p.m. when residents huddled around and held up umbrellas to stage a peaceful protest against THAAD.
Asked why coming here even when it rains, an elderly woman who declined to be identified said "I cannot be absent alone. I must do even when it rains."
