The overthrow of President Park Geun-Hye has occurred during the exacerbation of regional tensions in relations with South Korea deploying a controversial American missile defence system.

The court upheld the impeachment of the Park on Friday, removing from office the first President of the country, and freeing up space for new elections within 60 days.

One of the key issues in this election will be a Territorial defense system of the area (THAAD), the first of which arrived in South Korea last week upon the agreement between the United States and the government of the Park. The system can be used to shoot down ballistic missiles aimed at South Korea.

While the U.S. and South Korea argue that THAAD is necessary in the face of continuing North Korean provocations, its deployment is detrimental to the relations between Seoul and Beijing, which have always strongly opposed any deployment of missile defense systems in the backyard.

On the eve of U.S. Secretary of state Rex Tillerson in the region once again questions were raised about the future of THAAD. "We regret to see that relations between China and Korea are in a difficult position," - said the representative of the Ministry of foreign Affairs of China Geng Shuang on Friday after the verdict against the Park. He urged Seoul to "stop the deployment, and to remove obstacles for the healthy development of Sino-Korean relations."

Many of the protesters who spent weeks on the street, calling for the removal of the President, also oppose THAAD. At the rally, dedicated to the impeachment on Saturday, you could see balloons with the words "No, THAAD! Yes, the world!"

At least one potential candidate in the upcoming elections has called for a reassessment of the question.

"If South Korea decides to revoke the deployment of the THAAD, it will create a terrible precedent that will make China believe it can use its economic influence on South Korea to monitor the strategic agenda of Seoul," said analyst Benjamin Lee.

At the rally, protest against the impeachment of the Park on Saturday, fears about the future THAAD was high. "The next government needs to maintain security relations with our friends in the United States," said Kim Jong-Hyun in his 40 years. "We support the deployment of THAAD, because now North Korea and China send the missiles to us."
sections: Politics, World News, Accidents