Korean THAAD deployment accelerates

South Korea's deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is accelerating with the Ministry of National Defence (MND) signing an agreement with Lotte International for a proposed THAAD site, MND announced on 23 November.

The MND signed the agreement with Lotte International to acquire Lotte Skyhill Seongju Country Club (Seongju golf course), which has been selected as a THAAD deployment site. It plans to select an assessment and appraisal institution to calculate the market value of the site following which an exchange contract will proceed.

The site was selected in September. It will be exchanged with the military reservation in Namyangju.

The military reservation in Namyangju covers an area of 200,000 square metres; while the area of the Seongju golf course is 1.48 million square metres. Seongju golf course will come into the MND’s possession when MND and Lotte finalise their negotiation based on site appraisal and assessment results. Following the acquisition of Seongju golf course, the MND will hand over the site to the US Forces Korea that will operate THAAD in accordance with the Korea-US Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).

The US bears all the costs for the THAAD development and operation, whereas Korea provides the site and infrastructure development.