韩国总统为部署反导系统提出辩护

South Korean President Park Geun-hye is defending her decision to deploy a U.S.-built missile defense system on the country\'s southeastern peninsula, as protests against the plan continue.

Chairing a meeting of the National Security Council Thursday, President Park said North Korea\'s growing ballistic missile capabilities left the government no choice but to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, in Seongju county.

The decision has sparked angry protests by residents in Seongju, fearing possible hazards to health and the environment from the radar-based system. Thousands of Seongju residents held a massive demonstration in Seoul Thursday.

Park warned that opposition to the plan to deploy the THAAD system could lead South Koreans "divided" and "confused," which could play right into North Korea\'s hands.

North Korea launched three ballistic missiles from the western city of Hwangu early Tuesday that flew between 500 and 600 kilometers before falling into the sea off the east coast of the Korean peninsula. The missile launches came a week after Pyongyang threatened to retaliate against Seoul over the deployment of the THAAD system.

星期四，朴槿惠在主持召开全国安全委员会会议时表示，朝鲜日益增加的弹道导弹能力使韩国政府除了在星州郡部署末段高空区域防御系统（萨德）外别无选择。

这个决定激起了星州郡居民的愤怒抗议。他们担心这个雷达系统有可能给健康和环境造成危害。该郡数千名居民星期四在首尔举行了大规模示威。

朴槿惠警告说，反对部署萨德计划有可能导致韩国人的“分裂”和“困惑”，从而给朝鲜以可趁之机。

朝鲜星期二早上从西部华城市发射了三枚弹道导弹，导弹飞行500到600公里后坠入朝鲜半岛东部沿海。一个星期前，平壤威胁说，要对韩国部署萨德系统进行报复。