South Korea premier pelted with eggs, bottles over missile site

South Korean conservative activists wave the national flags during a rally to support a deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, as an anti-war protester stands in front of the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, July 15, 2016. An advanced U.S. missile defense system will be deployed in a rural farming town in southeastern South Korea, Seoul officials announced Wednesday, angering not only North Korea and China but also local residents who fear potential health hazards that they believe the U.S. system might cause. The sign reads “Oppose a deployment of the THAAD.” AP

SEOUL, South Korea — 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 US missile defense system in their neighborhood.

South Korea on Wednesday announced that the advanced missile system called Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense or THAAD will be placed in the southeastern town of Seongju to better cope with North Korean threats. Sangju residents launched protests, saying they fear possible health hazards from the missile system.

READ: South Korea set to disclose a site for US missile defense

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn traveled to Sangju on Friday to explain the decision but his speech was immediately disrupted by jeers.

Hwang didn’t appear to be directly hit by any objects as security guards used umbrellas and bags to protect him. But his suit jacket was tainted by eggs.

READ: US to deploy missiles in S.Korea as North riled