America lands in South Korea with a THAAD
Washington/Seoul, April 26: The US started moving parts of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system to a deployment site in South Korea on Wednesday triggering protests from villagers and criticism from China. Washington and Seoul had agreed last year to deploy the THAAD to counter the threat of missile launches by Pyongyang.
THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight. Admiral Harry Harris, who heads the Pacific Command, told lawmakers that THAAD “will be operational in the coming days and able to better defend South Korea against the growing North Korean threat”.
Harris has also suggested the US to install missile interceptors on Hawaii, which could be one of the first parts of the US to be in range of a North Korean missile.
South Korea’s defence ministry said that elements of THAAD were moved to the deployment site, on what had been a golf course, about 250 km south of Seoul. “South Korea and the United States have been working to secure an early operational capability of the THAAD system in response to North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile threat,” the ministry said.
TV footage showed large trailers in camouflage paint carrying what appeared to be missilerelated equipment entering the former golf course, in Seongju.
Hundreds of residents concerned over the potential environmental impact protested angrily with some clashing with police. More than 10 were injured, including three, who were hospitalised, activists said.
China says the system’s advanced radar can penetrate deep into its territory and undermine its security while it will do little to deter the North, and is adamant in its opposition.
“China strongly urges the United States and South Korea to stop actions that worsen regional tensions and harm China’s strategic security interests and cancel the deployment of the THAAD system and withdraw the equipment,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a briefing.