Park calls for public cooperation in ensuring national security

ULAANBAATAR, July 16 (Yonhap) -- President Park Geun-hye on Saturday called for "public understanding and cooperation" in ensuring national security, expressing concerns over the growing instability in the international community, which was caused by a terrorist attack in France and a military coup in Turkey.

She made the call as France is reeling from an apparent terrorist attack that killed more 80 people and Turkey is in a chaos due to a military coup that resulted in the deaths of more than 40 police officers and civilians.

"Instability in the international community is deepening after a terrorist attack in France caused many casualties and a coup occurred in Turkey," Park was quoted by her spokesman Jung Youn-kuk as saying in Ulaanbaatar, where she is attending the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit.

The president instructed her government to make all-out efforts to ensure national security and the safety of citizens including those staying abroad, her spokesman told reporters.

Park, in addition, called on the public to cooperate in the efforts to ensure national security, pointing to "many difficulties" arising from the government's decision to deploy an advanced U.S. antimissile defense system on South Korean soil.

Seoul and Washington have decided to install a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in the southern town of Seongju. The decision has infuriated the residents in the town, who have denounced the government for having made the deployment decision without a "fair and transparent" process of securing their consent.

The residents have also expressed concerns about what they perceive as potential health risks associated with THAAD's powerful radar system.

sshluck@yna.co.kr
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