Beijing to restrict tourism to South Korea amid THAAD protests

Lotte Duty Free on Thursday said a cyber attack using Chinese internet protocol (IP) addresses has crashed its website, the latest report of irregularity from a South Korean firm in China since Seoul chose to deploy a US missile defence system.

The tensions sent shockwaves through the share market on Friday, with aviation, retail, tourism and cosmetics firms hit hard.

Tillerson also plans to seek China’s approval of the planned deployment in South Korea of an advanced USA missile defense system known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, as part of a greater deterrence effort against North Korea.

With its latest travel ban, China thinks it can seriously hurt South Korea.

Chinese can still travel to Korea by booking tickets directly and traveling on their own without the help of agencies. “There has been an upsurge in nationalist rhetoric on the Weibo and WeChat social media sites and this sort of tactic can have a serious economic impact on Lotte and South Korea”. It operates Korea’s second-largest cinema chain, and has 11 multiplexes, with 90 screens, in China.

Tensions keep rising, ranging from a recent curb on Chinese travel to South Korea, to bans on K-pop stars’ appearances on Chinese TV. “It reflects Chinese placing love for their home country before popularity of entertainment stars”, said Xinhua. A drop in the number of travelers from China appears inevitable until Beijing lifts the measure. “One is the THAAD radar, which is stationed there, would extend the US field of vision in its surveillance of Chinese missile activity…The US says the radar will not be used for spying on China, but China is not buying that and this is precisely why China is so opposed to it”.

THAAD could have been seen by some as a US gift to South Korea, but it could turn into a Trojan horse that will distort the presidential election and destroy relations with China, South Korea’s largest trading partner. Many have voluntarily initiated a boycott of South Korean products, especially those from Lotte group after it approved a land swap to station the THAAD system. Thought to be a response to Korea’s planned deployment of a USA missile defense system, the measure could inflict severe financial damage.

Cheong recently published the book of “Everything about THAAD” to make it widely known among people that South Korea could be the biggest victim of the THAAD deployment on its soil. Mr Wang said the move would be expanded to other provinces. China’s THAAD retaliation is inappropriate since it will create unnecessary pressure in the region.

South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-Koo “stressed the need to bolster the drills” in a phone call with his U.S. counterpart James Mattis, who vowed “effective and overwhelming response” against any use of nuclear weapons, Seoul’s defense ministry said in a statement.

Trump however later reaffirmed the position in a conciliatory phone call to Xi. He has not specified whether he endorses or disapproves of the deployment.

One government official told the JoongAng Ilbo that political uncertainty over the fate of the president must end before the government can respond effectively to China’s protest.

“The (two) websites have been down and we are working to get them back online”, Kim said, declining to comment on the nature or origin of the virus or the origin of the DDoS.

Former head of the defence ministry’s foreign affairs office Qian Lihua said the deployment of the USA system – the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system (THAAD) – was a threat to regional security.

These questions come on the heels of the U.S.’ announcement that it will be stationing a marine guard at the new American Institute in Taipei office compound and South Korea’s announcement that it would be installing the missile system in its country.

Other travel industry sources said tours that had been long-booked would go ahead.

South Korea and the United States kicked off their annual, massive military exercises yesterday as North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un ordered his troops to prepare for a “merciless strike” against the enemy forces.