国际英语资讯:Spotlight: S. Korean civic groups moving to oppose THAAD deployment_时事

国际英语资讯:Spotlight: S. Korean civic groups moving to oppose THAAD deployment

Among about 1,500 civic groups that had led the Saturdays candlelit demonstrations to remove Park from office, some are moving to refocus the people power on the reversal of the THAAD installation decision that was made by the impeached president.

"The power of candles will be centered on oppositions to THAAD. People must determine the fate of THAAD. The final decision must be relayed to next government," said Yang Gun-mo, spokesperson of the 2017 Democracy and Peace Forum, a local civic group.

Lee Samyeol, the civic group's co-chair, said ordinary people were duped into believing that THAAD in South Korea can shoot down incoming missiles from the DPRK, claims made by both the South Korean and U.S. governments.

Civic group activists and religious figures, he said, should make efforts to let people know the truth about the U.S. missile shield that is designed to intercept incoming missiles at an altitude of 40-150 km.

Pyongyang has a technology which is able to avoid the intercepting range of THAAD. Most of DPRK missiles targeting South Korea fly at an altitude of less than 40 km.

Regional countries including China and Russia have strongly opposed the THAAD deployment in South Korea as it breaks strategic balance in the region and damages security interests of regional countries.

"THAAD will make (South) Korea become part of the U.S. strategy to contain China (through the regional missile defense networking)," said Lee Raekyung, chairperson of TheTomorrow, a local civic group.