Human Rights Commission: "Measures Needed to Support Mental Health of Residents in Villages with THAAD Deployment"

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) has urged the establishment of measures to support the mental health of residents in Seongju-gun, Gyeongbuk, where the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system has been installed.

On the 7th, the NHRCK announced that on the 23rd of last month, it recommended the Minister of National Defense, the Chief of Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency, the Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, and the Mayor of Seongju County to identify the mental damage suffered by village residents during the decision and implementation process of the THAAD deployment and to prepare support measures.

Activists from the THAAD Withdrawal Seongju Countermeasures Committee and village residents filed a complaint with the NHRCK, stating that the continuous introduction of THAAD equipment into Soseong-ri village in Seongju-gun has infringed upon their right to pursue happiness. They reported that repeated forced suppression and dispersal of residents opposing the THAAD deployment have caused mental and physical suffering, including insomnia, among the villagers.

The Chief of Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency and the Chief of Seongju Police Station responded that they have been consistently conducting preemptive human rights education for police officers, including recommendations from the NHRCK and the Police Human Rights Committee, regarding responses to assemblies and protests. They also shared the results of the "Mental Health Survey of Soseong-ri Residents" conducted by the NHRCK Daegu Human Rights Office in 2022 and stated that they are paying close attention to the safety and human rights protection of Soseong-ri residents.

The NHRCK dismissed the complaint from the Soseong-ri village residents. The commission explained, "It cannot be considered unfair for the respondents, who are performing duties for a national project, to intervene in the assembly," and added, "There may be various causes of the residents' mental damage arising from the decision and implementation process of the national project, making it difficult to hold the respondents solely responsible as the direct cause."

However, the NHRCK stated, "According to the 'Basic Mental Health Survey' conducted on 10 Soseong-ri residents from June to August last year, all participants showed high levels of anxiety; seven exhibited depressive symptoms, five of whom were at severe depression levels; and nine showed borderline levels of post-traumatic stress." It further emphasized, "The state and related local governments have an obligation to consider measures to minimize residents' harm during the implementation of national projects." Additionally, it noted, "The series of situations experienced by village residents during the anti-THAAD deployment protests may negatively affect their mental health."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.