US military authorities said yesterday they had deployed new batteries of ground-to-air Patriot missiles in the southwestern city of Gwangju, a move that has triggered strong protests from activists there.
The deployment of two upgraded Patriot missile batteries in Gwangju, 187km southwest of Seoul, is part of a global redeployment program of US forces.
The 8th US Army had since late April been moving its 35th Air Defense Brigade from Fort Bliss, Texas and its two upgraded Patriot missile batteries to South Korea.
"The deployment of Patriot PAC-3 Air Defense Artillery Brigade was completed last week with the final load of equipment into Gwangju Air Base," the US Forces in Korea said in a statement.
The new missile brigade will be headquartered in the US air base at Osan, 35km south of Seoul, and its two missile batteries will be based in Gwangju.
The US forces will also retain their six existing Patriot missile batteries -- PAC-1 or PAC-2 batteries -- in South Korea under the command of the new brigade, US command officials said.
The deployment of new missiles has met angry protests from activists in Gwangju, formerly spelled Kwangju, and known for anti-US sentiment.
Activists and students in Gwangju have launched a campaign with a target to collect signatures from 100,000 people opposed to the missile deployment and have been holding rallies and street marches against the move.
The US Forces in Korea said in the statement the air defense brigade and Eighth US Army leadership "appreciate the cooperation of the Gwangju citizens" for the deployment.
"We also understand the need to be a good neighbor within the community and will work closely with the people of Gwangju to foster good communication, cultural awareness and mutual understanding," it said.
The deployment is part of Washington's force improvement program aimed to compensate for its plan to redeploy its forces in South Korea, under which one third of its 37,500 troops in the country will be pulled out in phases until September 2008.
The number of US troops to be withdrawn includes 3,600 already transferred to Iraq this year. The troops in Iraq will not return to South Korea.
The deployment of new missiles is part of an US$11 billion spending program aimed at compensating for the reduction in the number of troops, including high-speed vessels, attack helicopters and armored vehicles.
North Korea has angrily protested the missile deployment, claiming it is part of US preparations to launch a pre-emptive attack on the communist state.
RALLYING CRY: Former US president Donald Trump has raised suspicions about why Chinese migrants are going to the US and advocacy groups worry about his rhetoric The US Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday said that it sent 116 Chinese migrants from the US back home in the first “large charter flight” in five years. The flight, which happened over the weekend, comes as Chinese immigration has become the subject of intense political debate in the upcoming US presidential election. “We will continue to enforce our immigration laws and remove individuals without a legal basis to remain in the United States,” US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement. The department said it was working with China to “reduce and deter irregular migration and to disrupt
‘ONE FELL SWOOP’: Overturning a landmark ruling that said judges should defer to experts would ‘cause a massive shock to the legal system,’ a dissenting opinion said Prosecutors overstepped in charging Jan. 6, 2021, rioters with obstruction for trying to prevent certification of the 2020 presidential election, the US Supreme Court said on Friday, throwing hundreds of cases into doubt, while another controversial ruling struck down 40 years of legal precedent on federal agencies’ ability to regulate critical issues. The matter was brought to the court through an appeal by former police officer Joseph Fischer, a supporter of former US president Donald Trump who entered the Capitol with hundreds of others in 2021. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said prosecutors’ interpretation of the law would “criminalize
The US yesterday wrapped up its first multidomain exercise with Japan and South Korea in the East China Sea, a step forward in Washington’s efforts to enhance and lock in its security partnerships with key Asian allies in the face of growing threats from North Korea and China. The three-day Freedom Edge increased the sophistication of previous exercises with simultaneous air and naval drills geared toward improving joint ballistic-missile defense, anti-submarine warfare, surveillance and other skills and capabilities. The exercise, which is expected to expand in years to come, was also intended to improve the countries’ abilities to share missile warnings —
ELECTION JITTERS: After a call with the party’s leadership, a DNC member said they were being asked to ignore the party’s dire predicament after last week’s debate US President Joe Biden on Saturday attended a triple-header of campaign fundraisers, seeking to reassure high-dollar donors he can still win re-election in November despite a debate performance that sparked panic among many Democrats. Accompanying him at the fundraisers in New York and New Jersey was first lady Jill Biden, who has fiercely defended her 81-year-old husband amid calls for him to step aside. “Joe isn’t just the right person for the job — he’s the only person for the job,” she told one gathering, which featured actors Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick among the cohosts. The president is facing a wave