03 March 2017•Update: 04 March 2017
By Alex Jensen
SEOUL
Acting South Korean President Hwang Kyo- insisted Friday that deploying the American anti-missile system THAAD is a "vital defense measure," as China ramped up pressure on Seoul to abandon the plan.
Beijing blocked major travel agencies from selling packages to South Korea a day earlier -- threatening to slash Seoul's biggest source of tourism revenue.
Local news agency Yonhap cited industry insiders who fear the number of Chinese visitors could be halved.
That would mean a loss of around $10 billion based on spending by the 8.06 million Chinese travelers to the South last year according to Korea Tourism Organization data.
Chinese state media suggested earlier this week that ties with South Korea might even be severed after a Lotte Group affiliate a land swap deal for a THAAD site nearly 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of Seoul.
The South Korean government maintains that THAAD, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, is a protective move following a series of North Korean ballistic missile tests.
"As China's protest against the deployment is expected to escalate when the full-fledged steps begin, we will continue to keep watchful eyes on actions taken by Beijing, while expanding communication with China," Hwang was quoted by Yonhap as telling ruling party lawmakers.
"We will come up with necessary measures at the appropriate time," he said.
The tourism ministry also held an emergency meeting Friday.
Both sides of the political aisle spoke out against China's latest action, including the main opposition Democratic Party that is tipped to provide the winner of this year's election to choose a successor to impeached President Park Geun-.
The liberal camp even sent a delegation to China last year amid calls for the THAAD decision to be deferred to the next administration -- but floor leader Woo Sang-ho now admits Beijing has "gone too far”.
There have also been concerns that Chinese consumers are being prevented from enjoying or encouraged to boycott South Korean products and entertainment, such as highly popular dramas and music stars.
