What is THAAD retaliation?

As South Korean government introduced a THAAD(Terminal High Altitude Air Defense)system, the relationship between China and Korea has become very troubled. China and Russia have expressed their opposition to THAAD in succession, concerning that their countries would be included within the detection range of THAAD. China, in particular, has fiercely resisted saying, “If THAAD is deployed, the relations between Korean and China can be destroyed.”

In the face of confrontation and concern, the ROK government agreed with the THAAD deployment on July 8 and selected Sungju-gun, Gyeongbuk as the site. The policy and diplomacy of Korean government about THAAD have caused many controversies not only in Korea which aroused criticism of necessity and undemocratic processes, but also around the world. After the decision of deployment, China pressed South Korea through retaliatory measures such as strengthening visa issuance and restricting Korean entertainers’ participation in Chinese broadcasting. However, the tone of the THAAD deployment did not change. Under the Trump government, Korean Ministry of National Defense determine the golf course as the arrangement site at Seongju officially, and proceeded a contract with Lotte. China is lashing out by squeezing South Korean businesses and by discouraging citizens from traveling to Korea. The Chinese media have shown hostility to South Korea, and some Chinese citizens gave disadvantages to Koreans and actively campaigned for anti-Koran campaigns. Therefore, tensions between Korea and China have increased.

How this issue has influenced our life?

There was a survey about THAAD retaliation and Korean-Chinese relations among students in Handong anonymously, who are in the Chinese community and in Handong international politic society.

The question is: Have you felt anti-Korean sentiment among Chinese people recently? Most Korean students answered ‘Yes’, and added that they felt those kinds of feelings through the SNS or the media. The answers from Chinese students were divided, and nearly half of them responded that they experienced anti-Korean sentiment through internet. Some students mentioned ‘Lotte becomes the attacking target’, ‘some Chinese appeal to prohibit Korean products’, ‘Korean culture and its business in China now are facing major resistance’, and ‘our people feel angry because we think THAAD threats our national security yet does no good to Korea, the only beneficiary is USA‘. On the other hand, some Chinese students felt that Chinese people do not anti-treat Korean people.
Some Chinese students spoke their difficulties about this issue, such as, ‘my families are worried about me. I also had a hard time buying a flight ticket when I was trying to come back to Korea’, ‘we can’t deliver the cosmetic products to China’, or ‘I had a problem with visa issue’

Another survey question was, ‘Have you felt anti-Chinese sentiment among Korean people recently?’ Most of the Korean students replied ‘Yes’, and the main source was the internet and the media. Nearly half of the Chinese students responded ‘Yes’, and gave opinions as below: ‘Some Korean people look down upon and laugh at Chinese’, ‘They are not friendly and not kind’, ‘I heard that one of my friends had been rejected by the shop assistant in Korea clothes store because she is Chinese’, ‘I feel sad and unhappy because of the uncomfortable attitude of Korean people to Chinese people compared to before’, ‘One day while I was taking a taxi with my friends, a taxi driver asked me where I am from. When I told him I am from China, he told me how troublesome the Chinese are in Korea as well as the diplomatic relationship with Korea’.

The opinions about this situation were varied. Answers from Chinese students are as below: ‘As a Chinese student, I will standing on the position of China, but I will treat the matter rationally. At least I will not exclude Korean from any hatred. If they do not exclude or hate Chinese, I think I can make friends with Korean’, ’Both Chinese people who are resisting Korean product(because indeed THAAD will be a threat to our national security) and Korean people who support THAAD are out of patriotism. I hate to see Korea and China at odd for too long, but I do think Korean government should really consider the situation and make the right decision’, ‘I honestly feel pity for Korea, it is mostly the United States that is doing the harm to both Korea and China. The US is never trustworthy’, ‘Anger and ignorance cannot solve any problems but make the problem more worth, so just calm down and be a good man, with a good heart and love others by prayer’. Meanwhile, some Korean students said, ‘China should be rational to this issue’, and ‘decision-making process for THAAD deployment was unfair, but a retaliation was a bad diplomatic manner’.

The result of the survey shows the difficulties of Chinese students in Korea and somewhat give challenges to think further. The reasonable and deliberate considerations are needed for the better relationship between Korea and China.

Hye Eon Kim, Guest Reporter
 

저작권자 © 한동신문 무단전재 및 재배포 금지