Kim Gi-hyeon Visiting Seongju: "Moon's THAAD Environmental Impact Assessment is Just a Pretense"

"Regional Economy Sacrificed to Appease China"
Seongju Chamoe Tasting and Resident Meeting: "It's Safe"

Kim Ki-hyun, the leader of the People Power Party, visited Seongju, Gyeongbuk, where the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) base is located, on the 26th and said, "The Moon Jae-in administration only pretended to conduct an environmental impact assessment and in reality, it appears that they virtually did not proceed with it and rather obstructed the environmental evaluation."

On the afternoon of the same day, at Seongju County Office, Kim received a report related to the environmental impact assessment of the THAAD base and stated, "It cannot be overlooked that the Moon Jae-in administration, which holds the authority of central government ministries, sacrificed the local economy due to bowing to China's pressure." Accompanying him were Secretary-General Lee Cheol-gyu, Gyeongbuk Provincial Party Chair Im I-ja, and Seongju County Mayor Lee Byung-hwan, while Vice Minister of Environment Yoo Je-cheol reported on the results of the THAAD base environmental assessment.

Introducing the recently announced environmental assessment results, Kim said, "It took a long six years just to produce this simple result," adding, "During that time, Seongju was stigmatized as if it were a place where people should not live, and some even spread rumors, degrading the local economy by calling the melons 'microwave melons,' which is a low-level slander."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The People Power Party urged the Democratic Party of Korea to issue a public apology for spreading rumors related to THAAD. Kim criticized, "The residents of Seongju have endured long-standing psychological pain and it is obvious that the local economy suffered significant negative impacts," and added, "Yet, they have neither apologized nor taken responsibility, and saying 'fortunately it is safe' is not the behavior of a responsible politician."

Kim also launched an offensive, accusing the Democratic Party of spreading rumors about Fukushima nuclear wastewater contamination following the THAAD issue. He said, "This year, the Democratic Party is again attempting to commit rumor violence against our country's clean seafood," and stated, "Instead of supporting farmers and fishermen to live with peace of mind, the Democratic Party's actions are driving their livelihoods into crisis, which is absolutely unacceptable."

Vice Minister Yoo, who held the briefing that day, explained the details of the THAAD environmental impact assessment. Yoo said, "What we measured was not the electromagnetic waves emitted directly from the radar, but the level of electromagnetic wave exposure in villages around the base that could be affected," and added, "The highest electromagnetic wave measurement among five locations around the THAAD base was only about 0.189% of the human protection standard."

After the briefing, Kim asked Vice Minister Yoo, "Is the environmental impact assessment of electromagnetic waves proven by objective figures rather than subjective opinions of good or bad?" Yoo replied, "It is absolutely established through scientific and mathematical measurements based on measured data."

Then Kim questioned, "Are the melons fried by electromagnetic waves?" This referred to the August 3, 2016, ‘Anti-THAAD Candlelight Rally’ held in Seongju, Gyeongbuk, where then Democratic Party lawmakers Park Joo-min, So Byung-hoon, Kim Han-jung, Son Hye-won, Pyo Chang-won, and Kim Hyun-kwon parodied the popular song ‘Every Night’ with lyrics saying, "Every lonely night, I hate THAAD’s electromagnetic waves. Under strong electromagnetic waves, I feel like my body will be fried," which Kim criticized.

In response, Mayor Lee said, "In the first year, THAAD had a significant impact on sales. After that, based on actual experience, there was no substantial effect on consumption or human health, so there has been no major impact since then." He added, "Regardless of THAAD electromagnetic waves, Seongju melons are truly safe and the best fruit in Korea, so I would appreciate it if you could promote that."

Meanwhile, Kim visited the Seongju Agricultural Products Market that day, personally tasted the melons, and held a meeting with residents.

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