Ordinary South Koreans are growing worried amid intensifying tension in the country over the surprise arrival here of parts of a US missile defense system Monday and China’s subsequent economic retaliation toward local companies.

“I think the THAAD deployment was too important for a snap decision. The South Korean government should have made its decision after having sufficient discussion with experts in economy, national security and diplomacy, since Korea is sandwiched between two rivalling countries,” said 29-year-old conscripted policeman Roh Jae-min.

“As one of the young generation, I’m seriously concerned what will happen to South Korea -- we are already experiencing a presidential leadership vacuum,” Roh said.
 

President Park Geun-hye, who single-handedly pushed ahead with the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system, is suspended from office and awaiting a court decision on whether she should be permanently removed from her position.

Monday’s move to begin the deployment of the THAAD batteries came as a surprise and is widely seen by critics as a rushed move by the allies to complete the deployment before the next presidential election here. Polls, conducted last year and early this year, point to a public support of slightly over 50 percent.

Thomas Choi, 28, a foreign exchange dealer, said that it was not “clever of the government (to be) taking (this) stance at this point.”

“It seems to be that taking a definite side between the United States and China wouldn’t be a wise option in the current situation where we’ve got all sorts of problems inside and outside home, including geopolitical risks in Asia and (the) political uncertainties of US President Donald Trump,” Choi said.

Some said for South Korea, which is technically still at war with nuclear-armed North Korea, THAAD is not a choice of which side to take between the US and China. It is a matter of national security.

“I personally think there was a problem with the procedure (on the THAAD agreement) in the beginning, but it is necessary for our country at this moment while the current national security situation is very unstable,” said a military major who currently serves in the army and wished to remain anonymous.

“There is no turning back since the anti-missile system has arrived here, so the South Korean government should play a leading role in solving diplomacy issues with China and continue its good relationship with the US,” he added.

China’s latest moves to restrict its citizens from traveling to South Korea and hinder sales of Korean products in the country prompted some South Koreans to rethink Seoul’s old ties with the neighboring country.

Yoon Hee-yeon, a 24-year-old university student in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, cancelled her planned trip in May to the Chinese city of Shanghai after learning about China’s angry response to the decision.

“After I saw news headlines that the Chinese government instructed travel agencies to suspend all sales of trips to South Korea in retaliation, I asked myself why I should travel to China and spend money for such a hostile country,” said Yoon, adding that she would not visit China until the diplomatic situation gets better.

Yoon is apparently not alone. A tour agency, located in southern Seoul, said it received at least 50 calls last week from their customers about cancelling their trips to China. At least 20 of them immediately cancelled due to the anti-Korean sentiment there, the agency revealed.

Some vented their anger at China online.

“I think China is going out of its mind because of THAAD. I did not like ‘Made in China’ products at all. Let’s only purchase domestic brands from today,” said an anonymous blogger on an online community for mothers.

“China is acting like a loser, why is the government directly intervening to control people from visiting Korea? We should voluntarily restrain ourselves from travelling to China as well,” another Twitter user wrote.

Entrepreneurs who deal with the Chinese market also expressed concerns about their businesses.

“(My) business has never been worse because of all the ongoing talks about the missile system here. I’m sure it won’t be just me who will fall victim to the missile deployment,” Lee Hyo-yeon, a Chinese national who has settled down in Seoul, running an accessory shop for Chinese travelers.

“I hope that both governments work together to sort this out.”


By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com) and Bak Se-hwan (sh@heraldcorp.com)