THAAD is an initial for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system and its purpose is to protect our country from a North Korean military attack and gain more security. THAAD is a military missile defense system operated by the U.S. and is finally expected to be deployed in the Korean Peninsula. THAAD does not carry any warheads and is said to be a defensive system. Its principle is to target a bullet with a bullet. It operates by identifying the incoming missile with its radar and then firing an interceptor to destroy short and medium ballistic missiles at a high altitude which will minimize the damage on the ground. However, the deployment of Thaad has contributed to some negative effects on the relations between South Korea and China. China is expressing their fury against it that the deployment of THAAD will not bring peace in South Korea but bring conflict to both countries. However, South Korea and the U.S government has consistently maintained their decision, assuring that THAAD is capable of defending against North Korea’s missiles. Now that the deployment of THAAD is coming up, the Chinese government is worried about THAAD of tracking some early data when China might target the U.S. government in case of war and potentially target their assets such as the location of their military bases. The Chinese government also thinks that the deployment of THAAD in Japan and South Korea is a way to contain China in the future. China consistently issued that the deployment of THAAD will not be good for either countries but South Korea persisted. The Chinese government and its citizens are retaliating against South Korea for deploying THAAD. "If THAAD is really deployed in South Korea, then China-South Korea relations will face the possibility of getting ready to cut off diplomatic relations and Chinese consumers can absolutely say no to this kind of company and their goods based on considerations of 'national security'," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang in a daily briefing in Beijing. On March 2, China’s National Tourism Administration (CNTA) demanded that travel agencies to stop the sales of trips to South Korea mostly on group package trips. Chinese tourists comprise almost half of all tourists and considering the fact that over 8 million Chinese tourists visited South Korea last year, it would definitely be a huge loss. The Chinese administration even denied some musicians to enter China. Jo Su-mi and Paik Kwun-woo were invited to China to perform 2 years ago. However their tour in China had suddenly been canceled. More entertainers set to visit China have had their trips canceled and even the media called out for more such boycotts. South Korean companies in China are already suffering losses from the deployment of THAAD. More than 50 stores of Lotte Group went out of business for providing some land for the deployment of Thaad. Last February, Lotte agreed to provide their golf course to the government for housing THAAD. Lotte has approximately 115 outlets in China employing over 20,000 people which impacted 7,000 of them just because of THAAD. The presidential candidate and the mayor of Seongnam city expressed that the deployment of THAAD will hurt both South Korea and China and it is wiser to reconsider it or the relation between the two countries will be gloomy and chaotic in the future. Now that the impeachment of Mrs. Park has been approved and the new political power is ahead of us, we should think of the pros and cons thoroughly about the deployment of THAAD before it’s too late.

By Jeong Seung-in, reporter

THAAD has had some negative effects on the relations over South Korea and China.

Jeong Seung-in,  samcandothat@naver.com

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