韓國樂天同意提供薩德部署場地

South Korea’s Lotte Group has agreed to trade the land needed to host a planned missile shield despite China’s recent warning of business consequences should the US-built defence platform proceed.

韓國樂天集團(Lotte Group)已經同意轉讓部署一套規劃中的反導系統所需的地皮，儘管中國最近警告稱，如果這套美製防禦平台順利部署，韓方將面臨商業後果。

Lotte’s board made the decision on Monday and plans to sign the contract with Seoul’s defence ministry as early as Tuesday, the ministry said. Lotte will hand over its golf course in the southeastern rural country of Seongju to host the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system and receive a state-owned military site near Seoul in return.

樂天董事會週一做出上述決定，並計劃最早週二就與韓國國防部簽署合同。樂天將交出旗下位於東南部鄉村地帶星州郡(Seongju)的高爾夫球場，以便部署末段高空區域防禦系統（THAAD，中文簡稱：薩德）；作為交換，該集團將獲得首爾附近一塊國有的軍用場地。

The decision paves the way for the Thaad deployment between May and July. The defence ministry has moved to expedite the proceedings to meet the schedule amid heightened military threats from North Korea.

這一決定為5月至7月間部署薩德鋪平了道路。在朝鮮軍事威脅加強的背景下，韓國國防部已加快行動，力求趕上這一進度表。

The country’s fifth-largest conglomerate had been dragging its feet on negotiations with the government in recent months as Beijing stepped up retaliatory measures against its operations in China.

隨着北京方面加強針對樂天在華業務的報復措施，此前這家韓國第五大企業集團在近幾個月的談判中表現出猶豫。

China has been vocally opposed to the Thaad system, saying Thaad undermines its nuclear deterrent. It also fears the US will be able to use the platform’s powerful radar to spy deep into its territory.

中國一直高調反對韓國部署薩德系統，聲稱薩德破壞中國的核威懾。它還擔心美國能夠利用該平台的強大雷達偵察中國縱深地帶。

Chinese state media agency Xinhua last week urged Lotte to defer or reject the Thaad deal, warning the group that it would lose Chinese customers and the Chinese market as a result.

中國官方的新華社上週敦促樂天推遲或拒絕薩德交易，警告該集團稱，後果將是失去中國顧客和中國市場。

The planned Thaad deployment has caught Lotte between its business interests and the will of the South Korean government. The company has already suffered from undeclared economic sanctions from China, deciding to close three retail stores near Beijing and halting construction of its $2.6bn theme park project in Shenyang in China’s north-east Liaoning province after facing a series of regulatory probes in China.

部署薩德的計劃使樂天被夾在自身商業利益和韓國政府的意志之間。該公司已經受到中國沒有明説的經濟制裁，遭遇一系列監管調查。為此該公司已決定關閉北京附近的三家零售店，並叫停在中國遼寧省瀋陽市一個26億美元主題公園項目的施工。

Lotte’s decision comes as North Korea has re-emerged as a potential conflict hotspot. Last year the reclusive Pyongyang regime tested two nuclear devices and more than 20 ballistic missiles, while this month it launched an advanced mid-range missile and is believed to be behind the assassination of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of supreme leader Kim Jong Un.

樂天作出上述決定之際，朝鮮再度成為一個潛在的衝突熱點。去年，閉關自守的平壤政權進行了兩次核試驗，還發射了20多枚彈道導彈，而就在本月，朝鮮發射了一枚先進的中程導彈，並且被認為是最高領導人金正恩(Kim Jong Un)的素無來往的同父異母長兄金正男(Kim Jong Nam)被暗殺背後的黑手。

Lotte said on Monday it was concerned about further business fallout from rising tension between China and South Korea over the Thaad deployment.

樂天週一表示，其擔心中韓之間圍繞部署薩德的不斷升温的緊張局勢進一步影響業務。

As the latest example of the Thaad backlash, China has blocked access to newly updated clips of South Korean music and dramas on the country’s online video-sharing platforms in a move that could dent the popularity of South Korean pop culture in China. Korean actors and pop stars have already found themselves unwelcome in China, with some concerts and television appearances cancelled.

薩德引發反彈的最新例子是，中國封殺了國內在線視頻分享平台上新更新的韓國音樂和電視劇，此舉可能影響韓國流行文化在中國的人氣。近來韓國演員和流行歌手紛紛發現自己在中國不受歡迎，一些音樂會和電視出場安排被取消。