Stars and Stripes:
An 18-hole golf course in the mountains above a southeastern farming area will be the new home for an advanced U.S. anti-missile battery aimed at countering the growing threat from the North, the South Korean military said Friday.
The decision followed months of protests over the original plans to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system at an artillery base in the Seongju region. The new location at the Lotte Skyhill Country Club is in the same area but higher and more remote.
The Ministry of National Defense said it plans to obtain the golf club from the Lotte group, one of South Korea’s biggest conglomerates, after also considering two other candidates.
It said the country club “turned out to be best qualified,” and U.S. and South Korean defense officials “selected it as the final site” for the THAAD’s deployment.
“Therefore MND will make every effort to install the THAAD within the next year in order to better defend national security and people’s lives from the escalating North Korean nuclear and missiles threats,” it said.
The statement did not elaborate on possible terms, saying only that discussions would be held under the Status of Forces Agreement for granted land, and design and construction.
South Korean media have reported the price tag could be more than $90 million.
U.S. Forces Korea has said it is working with its South Korean allies on the associated costs of building and stationing THAAD on the peninsula, and information will be available later.
