S. Korea, US Reach Agreement on THAAD Deployment

Local Editor

The United States and South Korea reached an agreement on the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense [THAAD] missile system in the country, Ministry of National Defense said Friday.

It has been reported earlier that sites in the city of Daegu in the North Gyeongsang Province and the city of Pyeongtaek in the Gyeonggi Province are being considered for the defense system deployment.

"South Korea and the US have made the joint decision to deploy the THAAD system with US Forces Korea as part of a defensive action to guarantee the security of the Republic of Korea and our people from North Korea's nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile threats," the press release by the Defense Ministry read as quoted by Yonhap news agency.

Meanwhile, the United States has been in discussions with South Korea for several months over the proposed deployment of the THAAD system following Pyongyang's hydrogen bomb test on January 6 and a satellite launch on February 7 which violated the United Nations Security Council resolutions and triggered condemnation from the international community in both cases.

In this regard, the THAAD system is designed to intercept short, medium, and intermediate ballistic missiles at the terminal incoming stage. The system's potential deployment on the Korean Peninsula has caused concern in North Korea, as well as China and Russia.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team