U.S. adds launchers to defence system as dozens hurt in South Korea protests
Dozens of people were injured in clashes between South Korean protesters and police ursday as the U.S. military added more launchers to the high-tech missile-defence system it installed in a southern town to better cope with North Korean threats.
Seoul has hardened its stance against Pyongyang after its torrent of weapons tests, the latest a detonation Sunday of what North Korea said was a thermonuclear weapon built for missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.
e clashes came as South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe met in Russia’s Far East and repeated their calls for stronger punishment of North Korea over its nuclear ambitions, including denying the country oil supplies.
The demand contradicted the stance of their host, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has dismissed sanctions as a solution.
Putin says he believes President Donald Trump’s administration is willing to defuse tensions over North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. Its sixth nuclear test on Sunday prompted the United States to speak about a “military response” and South Korea to conduct major military exercises.
Speaking at an economic forum in Russia’s eastern port of Vladivostok, Putin said ursday he believes the Trump administration is “willing to resolve the situation.” He said there are “many reasonable people in the current administration” who are experienced and who have dealt with similar crises.
Putin called on all North Korea’s neighbours to show restraint, indicating the bellicose rhetoric and the military drills are only “playing into their hands.”
Moon and Abe in their meeting agreed to co-operate on seeking tougher United Nations sanctions against North Korea and pledged to strengthen e orts to persuade Beijing and Moscow into cutting o oil supplies to the North, said Yoon Young-chan, Moon’s chief press secretary. Putin expressed concern that cutting o oil supplies would hurt regular North Koreans, Yoon said.
“We should not give in to emotions and push Pyongyang into a corner,” Putin said in a news conference after meeting with Moon.
e Russian leader will meet with Abe later in the day.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reiterated Beijing’s opposition to South Korea’s deployment of the Terminal HighAltitude Area Defence System, also known as THAAD. Beijing says the system’s powerful radars will be able to monitor ights and missile launches deep inside northeastern China.
Geng told reporters that China had complained to the U.S. and South Korea and urged them to “take seriously the security concerns and interests of China and other regional countries.” The U.S. and South Korea should “immediately stop the deployment process and withdraw relevant equipment,” Geng said.
In South Korea, thousands of police o cers in riot gear swarmed some 400 protesters who had been
occupying a road leading to the site where THAAD is installed in the rural town of Seongju.
Six police o cers and 32 other people were injured, none seriously, in the clashes, said a re department official in Seongju who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing o ce rules.
Several U.S. military vehicles, including trucks carrying payloads covered in black sheets that appeared to be launchers, had been seen heading toward the site.
A THAAD battery normally consists of six launchers capable of firing up to 48 interceptor missiles, but only two have been operational. South Korea’s Defence Ministry couldn’t immediately confirm when the four launchers added on ursday will be operationally capable.