S.Korea to Install Electromagnetic Wave Detectors near THAAD Base in 2023

South Korea reportedly plans install electromagnetic wave detectors around the THAAD missile defense base in Seongju.

Seongju is located 217km southeast of capital Seoul. Local residents and some activists have fiercely protested the deployment of U.S.-made THAAD systems since 2017, raising concerns about risks to human health and the environment.

Officials told Yonhap on Sunday that the ministry will receive eight electromagnetic wave detectors by April 28 next year. Installation of the equipment will be complete in the second quarter.

Five detectors will be installed near the base to monitor the potentially hazardous electromagnetic waves of THAAD's X-band radar around the clock, with the remainder to be set aside as spares.

The planned installation of the monitoring devices comes on the heels of an environmental impact assessment on the THAAD base.