S Korea sets up missile system
SEOUL: In a defiant bit of timing, South Korea has announced that key parts of a contentious US missile defence system have been installed a day after rival North Korea showed off its military power.
The South’s trumpeting of progress on setting up the Terminal HighAltitude Area Defence system, or THAAD, comes as highpowered US military assets converge on the Korean Peninsula and as a combative North Korea signals possible nuclear and missile testing.
North Korea conducted livefire artillery drills on Tuesday, the 85th anniversary of the founding of its Korean People’s Army.
On the same day, a US guidedmissile submarine docked in South Korea, and the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson is headed towards the peninsula.
The moves to set up THAAD have angered not only North Korea, but also China, the country the Trump Administration hopes to work with to rid the North of nuclear weapons.
China and Russia see the system’s powerful radars as a security threat.
China said yesterday it had expressed serious concern to Washington and Seoul. Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China had urged the US and South Korea to withdraw the system.
South Korea said yesterday parts of THAAD were installed and Yonhap news agency reported the parts included two or three launchers, intercept missiles and at least one radar.
The statement said Seoul and Washington had been pushing to get THAAD working quickly to cope with North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.
On Tuesday, North Korea conducted livefire drills near the east coast city of Wonsan that involved 300 to 400 artillery pieces, Yonhap reported.
North Korea’s official media said yesterday leader Kim Jongun observed the exercises.
The drills reportedly included submarine torpedo attacks on mock enemy warships ‘‘while fighters and bombers made zero feet flight above the sea to drop bombs on the targets’’, the Korean Central News Agency said.
US President Donald Trump has sent more US military assets to the region in a show of force while leaning on China to exert economic pressure on its wayward ally.