Residents and peace activists, who had protested against the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), decided on Tuesday to continue their fight against the U.S. missile shield deployment and its operation.
According to the anti-THAAD association, composed of residents and activists, it held a press conference at Soseong-ri village in Seongju county, South Korea's southeastern North Gyeongsang province.
During the press conference, it said the anti-THAAD protesters would continue to fight for the THAAD withdrawal and demand a halt to its operation and ongoing construction inside the site.
It said the anti-THAAD people denounced the United States forcing South Korea to deploy the U.S. missile defense system as well as President Moon Jae-in's government pushing ahead with the THAAD installation.
Four more mobile launchers and other THAAD elements were transported on Sept. 7 to the former golf course at the village after the police violently suppressed the anti-THAAD protesters.
About 8,000 riot policemen were mobilized to disperse some 500 protesters, among whom almost 100 were injured during the physical tussle with the police. Five were seriously wounded, according to the organization.
With the further deployment and construction, the THAAD battery in South Korea was forecast to get into a full operation in the near future. The battery will be operated by the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).
Two THAAD launchers and other equipment were already delivered on April 26 to the site. One THAAD battery is composed of six launchers, 48 interceptors, the AN/TPY-2 radar and the fire and control unit.
Meanwhile, anti-THAAD representatives from the country's five major religious orders, including the Christianity, the Catholic Church and the Buddhism, issued a statement to condemn the violent suppression of religious figures who tried to block the further THAAD installation last week.
Tents, put up by religious figures, were completely destroyed by the policemen, sacred things inside the tents were tramped down, and clerics were dragged down with their robes ripped and stripped, according to the statement.
A group of Christians held a press conference outside the National Police Agency headquarters in Seoul, criticizing the Moon government and the police agency for the violent dispersion of anti-THAAD religious figures.
