SEOUL, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Key figures of various social standings as well as civic group activists in South Korea on Wednesday demanded the "impeachment" of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) by people power, which had ousted former President Park Geun-hye.
Political, religious and academic figures held an emergency meeting in central Seoul along with civic activists and residents living near a site where the U.S. missile shield is scheduled to be deployed as early as next month.
A resolution, signed by about 700 figures including the participants, was announced to ask South Koreans to join their fight for peace in the Korean Peninsula and against the THAAD deployment in their soil, while asking major presidential contenders to make efforts to reconsider the deployment decision from the very beginning.
The date for a presidential election to succeed Park was set on May 9 as the constitutional court upheld a motion to impeach her on March 10. A presidential election must be held in 60 days, with the president being unseated.
The participants in the meeting chanted a slogan "Impeach THAAD" just as Park was impeached. Park became the first South Korean leader to be removed from office through impeachment.
The resolution said the THAAD deployment decision was the worst catastrophe in security and diplomatic policies under the Park Geun-hye government and that the worst policy is under way though people power ousted Park.
Two mobile launchers and part of the U.S. anti-missile system arrived in South Korea on March 6 and were moved to an unknown military base of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).
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