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SOUTH Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn was pelted with eggs and water bottles yesterday by residents angry at the siting of a US missile defence system in their town.
Hwang Kyo-ahn was apologizing to the people of Seongju County for not seeking their input on the joint Seoul-Washington decision to install the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, in their town, ostensibly to protect South Korea from a growing missile threat from North Korea.
Meanwhile Pyongyang warned that it would use “physical measures” against the system, once it is deployed.
“The government will inspect THAAD thoroughly to guarantee its safety,” the prime minister said. “We will also gather the residents’ opinions on the placement of the battery.”
Protesters started to throw eggs and plastic water bottles as he addressed them from the stairs of the county office; security guards unfolded ballistic boards and umbrellas to protect Kyo-Ahn but footage of the event shows the Prime Minister clearly soaked with egg yolk and water.
The protesters also blocked the entrance to the government compound where Hwang was trapped with a tractor as security guards struggled to keep the crowd at bay.
Protests began three days ago in Seongju, located about 135 miles southeast of Seoul, where residents say the THAAD deployment will ruin the town’s economic mainstay, melon farming, and cause health and environmental hazards.
Washington and Seoul say THAAD deployment is necessary to protect South Korea from a growing missile threat from Pyongyang.
Agencies/Canadajournal
