TOKYO(Sputnik) — 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 THAAD deployment, the news agency reported, citing South Korean military sources.
The United States has been in discussions with South Korea for several months over the proposed deployment of the THAAD system amid increased tensions on the peninsula over North Korea's nuclear program.
Pyongyang said on January 6 that it had successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test and put a satellite into orbit on February 7, violating UNSC resolutions and triggering condemnation from the international community in both cases. North Korea was slammed for using the satellite launch to allegedly conceal a ballistic missile test.
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. In April, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said after a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that both states are concerned the THAAD system’s deployment would go beyond defense necessities and damage the strategic security of China and Russia.
