South Korea To Perform THAAD's On-Site environmental Survey

South Korea will conduct an on-site environmental survey next week of the THAAD missile defense system deployed in a southern area of the country.

The move is part of the "small-scale" environmental impact assessment that started in December, and now is in the home stretch, said the Ministry of National Defense, The Korea Herald reported Friday.

The ministry has commissioned a contractor to draw up a related report.

The Ministry of Environment will form a team, including civilian experts, for the on-site study of the THAAD base in Seongju, slated for Thursday, The move is to verify the report.

Further, It plans to "review the appropriateness of such measurements as the level of electromagnetic radiation and noise," the ministry added.

South Korea provided the US Forces Korea with a 328,779 square-meter area at a former golf course in Seongju, some 300 kilometers south of Seoul.

Two THAAD launchers and a powerful X-band radar are in "field" or tentative operation there. The South Korean authorities' environmental survey is a prerequisite for the permanent installation of the military equipment.

South Korea has decided to conduct an additional environmental evaluation on the site, where the USFK is preparing to deploy four more THAAD launchers.