MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The US Defense Ministry said earlier that South Korea had agreed to host its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system to shield it from Pyongyang’s nuclear missiles.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov talked with his South Korean counterpart, Kim Hyoung-zhin. "This pact will inevitably lead to escalation in Northeast Asia and hinder settlement of the Korean Peninsula problem, including its denuclearization," Morgulov said.
"Moscow regards this step as buildup of the US global anti-missile potential in Asia-Pacific and an attempt to change the existing balance of power," he warned.
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 also caused concern in China and North Korea.
