S Korea's Embassy in China Launches Task Force to Deal With Anti-THAAD Policies

South Korea's Embassy in China announced on Saturday that it established a team to handle Beijing's economic policies aimed to protest Seoul’s decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea, local media reported Saturday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to South Korean Yonhap news agency, the team met on Friday for the fist time to discuss plans for protecting South Koreans in China.

According to media reports, China temporarily halted sale of tour packages to South Koreans earlier in the week,

Beijing also reportedly blocked access to South Korean TV shows and music on the Korean sharing platforms and urged regional broadcasters to suspend airing of South Korean shows.

On Tuesday, media reported that the South Korean Defense Ministry signed an agreement with the Lotte Group for a plot of land that would be used for the installation of the THAAD system.

Seoul and Washington agreed to deploy the THAAD system, designed to intercept short, medium and intermediate ballistic missiles at the terminal incoming stage, in July 2016, amid South Korea's growing unease about Pyongyang's nuclear program.

South Korea and the United States reportedly aim to complete the joint project by the end of this year, but it could be done as early as May.