This article was originally published on TV Chosun and translated by OKN Correspondent.
[Anchor]
One of the critical reasons for opposing the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) was that harmful electromagnetic waves would be emitted from the base hosting the THAAD system, damaging residents’ health. However, we obtained a source measuring the electromagnetic waves around the military base with THAAD in Seongju County, which the Moon Jae-in administration investigated for four years–and confirmed that the value was only 1/20,000 of the toxicological reference value.
The electromagnetic waves of THAAD turned out to be 1/1000 the level of the waves emitted from cell sites – the value showed that the waves had virtually no impact. Nevertheless, the Moon Jae-in administration did not disclose this information and did not mention the THAAD base.
This is Dong-bin Yoon’s exclusive report.
[Report]
This is the statistical data on the electromagnetic waves in the vicinity of the THAAD base in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, measured by the Ministry of National Defense during the Moon Jae-in administration from March 2018 to April this year.
The ministry measured four spots at different distances from the THAAD radar, and the average value of all four locations was 1/20,000 of the government-set, health-based toxicological reference value.
The maximum measured in July 2019 was also 1/114.
The value is only 1/1000 of the electromagnetic waves emitted from cell sites.
Yun-myeong Kim / Emeritus Professor, Dankook University
“Even if you were around there, it would have no impact since the value [of the electromagnetic waves from THAAD] is less than 1/100 of the health-based guidance value.”
When the Park Geun-hye administration decided to deploy THAAD, members of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party joined the protest that “the electromagnetic waves from THAAD will fry your body.”
The Ministry of National Defense under the Moon administration did not inform of such measurements while residents were blocking the bringing of equipment and supplies into Seongju County out of the danger of the electromagnetic waves.
As a result of the protest, Korean and U.S. soldiers continued living in containers – former Defense Secretary Mark Esper even complained about “ROK’s attitude toward its ally.”
The Ministry of National Defense, which started normalizing the THAAD missile defense unit after the Yoon Suk Yeol administration took power, plans to begin a general environmental impact assessment this month.
