Shell shock: South Korean PM egged at protest against US missile defence system

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Bodyguards deploy umbrellas to shield South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn (bottom centre) from incoming eggs thrown by angry locals in Seongju. Photo: AP

Published: 2:41pm, 15 Jul 2016

An angry mob of protestors on Friday threw eggs and water bottles at South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, calling for the retraction of a decision to deploy a US anti-missile defence system in their home town.

South Korea announced on Wednesday the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system, or THAAD, will be installed in Seongju County about 200km southeast of Seoul by the end of next year.

The announcement sparked fury among the town’s residents, who say the THAAD deployment would ruin their melon farming and cause health and environmental hazards.

“We apologise for not giving you prior notice,” the prime minister said before a crowd of some 3,000 protestors who gathered at the Seongju county government office on Friday.

Residents block a bus carrying South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn in Seongju, South Korea, Friday, July 15, 2016. Angry residents in a rural South Korean town have thrown raw eggs and water bottles at the prime minister to protest a plan to deploy a U.S. missile defense system in their neighborhood. (Shon Dae-sung/Yonhap via AP)

The otherwise restful town has been roiled by angry protests since Wednesday when thousands took to the street carrying banners reading “We absolutely oppose THAAD deployment”.