SK Parliamentary Speaker Convinces Parties to Overcome Differences on THAAD

Parliamentary Speaker Chung Sye-Kun said that South Korean parties must overcome the difference on the deployment of US missile defense system in the country considering that it must not weigh on the unity of the political segment.

"Now is the moment to come up with a conclusion that overcomes ideologies and political tensions to minimize public division," Chung said.

Because of the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in the southern part of the country, South Korean parties have been divided. The government said that THAAD is vital for the improvement of the country's defense and capabilities against North Korea.

Some opposition parties show that they are against the deployment and telling that it might hurt the ties of South Korea with China and Russia so it must be trashed. However, the Saenuri Party is supporting the move.

Some of the lawmakers are expressing their opposition against the party leadership of Minjoo Party for not voicing out their objections. Minjoo Party of Korea, the major opposition is still neutral on the THAAD move.

Furthermore, the parliamentary speaker Chung Sye-kyun did not show opposition nor support against the deployment of THAAD.

Chung is originally from the Minjoo Party and a six-term lawmaker, took the post after the Saenuri Party agreed to let the Minjoo Party take the speaker's position.

The speaker said that the on-going dispute over THAAD is a similar situation happened in the 1900s when the country became the battleground of great powers.

"We need to come up with a long-term diplomatic and security strategy for the peace and stability of Northeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula. (The National Assembly) will continue to look straight into the grave situation of Northeast Asia and make active movements to come up with future-oriented diplomatic and security strategies," Chung added.