(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) Seoul, August 02 (QNA) - South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday renewed her appeal for the planned deployment of an advanced US anti-missile shield on South Korean soil, with little headway being made to convince opponents on the need for the defense system.
Presiding over a Cabinet meeting, the commander-in-chief reiterated that the decision by Seoul and Washington to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to the southern town of Seongju was one that was made based on "long deliberations and exhaustive reviews".
"If we cannot take basic defensive steps such as the deployment of THAAD, how can we safeguard the well-being of the nation and its people?" Park said, according to state news agency (Yonhap).
It is the latest in a series of recent statements by the president to defend the allies' decision to deploy THAAD to Seongju.
Residents in the southern town have strongly opposed the deployment plan, concerned that THAAD's powerful radar system could pose health risks and hurt their agricultural crops.
Pointing to the political division over the envisioned deployment, Park underscored the need for political circles to muster up their "wisdom and strength" to prevent further division in the country's society. She added that division among South Koreans is what Pyongyang has sought to foment here.
Pledging to "actively" address complaints from the residents in Seongju, the president said she will meet lawmakers and local administrative chiefs that represent Seongju and surrounding areas.
The presidential office is currently coordinating with some of the lawmakers representing the country's southeastern region to arrange a meeting. The meeting could be held as early as Thursday, a source said. (QNA)