GOV’T ON THAAD BASE IN SEONGJU

[Anchor Lead]

The presidential office said the THAAD base in Seongju would be normalized by the end of August. Access to the base by land will become permanent this coming weekend, paving the way for an environmental impact assessment.

[Pkg]

The alley leading to the U.S. THAAD base is still full of protesters. When the missile defense system was first deployed in 2017, hundreds of protesters threw bottles at vehicles transporting the equipment, and tied their bodies up with chains to express their opposition. That hampered the land transportation of equipment and fuel, which are essential for operating the base.

[Soundbite] Lee Jong-seop(Minister of Nat'l Defense (Aug. 29)) : "We transport troops and fuel by helicopters. Normalization is needed to save costs and ensure safety."

The government plans to take measures this coming weekend to pave the way for transportation by land. A government official says measures guaranteeing accessibility to the THAAD base by land will be taken from September 3. Police will disperse the protesters and remove obstacles in front of the base. Certain numbers of police troops will be allocated near the base until accessibility is secured completely. Access to the base by vehicles was provided once a month from 2020, twice a week from May 2021, and five times a week since the current administration took office. Once accessibility is secured, vehicles will be able to enter the base anytime using various means. However, protesters are planning a mass rally. Physical clashes are expected. The committee demanding the missile defense system's withdrawal says it's going to use every means possible to express its opposition and is watching the government's next move.