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Tensions on the Korean Peninsula

Seoul calls US THAAD best protection from North Korea threat

According to South Korean President Park Geun-hye Seoul opponents of the deployment of US THAAD should propose their own plan of protection from threats coming from North Korea

South Korean President Park Geun-hye EPA/SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE

South Korean President Park Geun-hye

© EPA/SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE

TENSIONS ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA

Chinese top diplomat says still possible to resolve Korean Peninsula issue politically
South Korean president warns North Korea missile launches may hamper dialogue — Yonhap
Kim Jong-un says peace on Korean Peninsula fully depends on US position — KCNA
Putin emphasizes need to abandon rule of force to resolve situation on Korean Peninsula

SEOUL, July 21. /TASS/. South Korean President Park Geun-hye Seoul has suggested that opponents of the deployment of US THAAD (Terminal High Altitutde Area Defense) in the country should propose their own plan of protection from threats coming from North Korea.

"The government agreed to THAAD deployment because it came to the conclusion that this will be the best way to protect our country and people from threats coming from North Korea," Park said at the session of South Korea’s National Security Council. "So those who are against it should propose their own better plan," she added.

South Korean opposition and residents of Seongju County, where THAAD will be stationed, stand against this decision. They fear deterioration of relations with Russia and China, as well as harmful effect of electromagnetic waves from the radar on the health of people living in the area.

US-South Korean agreement

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry announced earlier in July that Seoul and Washington agreed to deploy THAAD in South Korea to counter the threat from North Korea. Russia and China have spoken against the deployment of US missile defense system in South Korea. "Such actions, no matter how they are explained, very negatively affect global strategic security, adherence to which is so often discussed by Washington. They may also result in escalation of tensions in the region, new difficulties for resolving acute problems of the Korean Peninsula, including the task of its denuclearization," Russian Foreign Ministry said.

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Situation on the Korean Peninsula

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