White House: US Deployment of THAAD S Korea Not Aimed at China or Russia

Any possible deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile defense system to South Korea by the United States would be directed at North Korea, not China or Russia, White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said at a press briefing on Friday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States has been in dialogue with South Korea over the proposed deployment of the THAAD system over the past year. THAAD is capable of shooting down short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles.

"I’ll just point out that equipment would be oriented toward the threat that is posed by North Korea, not oriented toward China or Russia," Earnest stated when asked about the Chinese response to a possible deployment of the system.

Moscow and Beijing consider the US deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system to South Korea to be a threat to Russia's and China's security.

South Korea and the United States started discussing the deployment of THAAD systems earlier in March, in response to a successful North Korean hydrogen bomb test and launch of a satellite into orbit on board a long-range rocket.

In July 2015, North Korea said it might boost its nuclear deterrent should the United States deploy a mobile missile defense system in South Korea.