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| AN/TPY-2 radar (Image: Wiki Commons) |
S. Korea to deploy THAAD to southeastern region despite neighbors' opposition
SEOUL, July 13 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's defense ministry on Wednesday announced an agreement with the United States to deploy the U.S. missile defense system, called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), to its southeastern region despite continued opposition from neighboring countries.
One THAAD battery will be deployed to the Seongsan-ri region of the Seongju county in North Gyeongsang province, where South Korean Air Force's Hawk surface-to-air missile battery is located.
Yoo Jeh-seung, deputy defense minister for policy, said at a nationally televised briefing that the county was proposed as the best site to maximize military effectiveness and secure safety of residents in the region, which was approved by defense ministers of South Korea and the United States.
After Friday's decision between Seoul and Washington to deploy U.S. interceptors in the South Korean soil, the decision for the deployment site was announced earlier than expected amid mounting opposition and controversies at home and abroad.
On Friday, Seoul said the site would be announced within weeks, but nationwide protests against the THAAD deployment had spread especially in candidate sites, prompting the country to announce it just five days after the deployment decision. The two countries aim to deploy the U.S. missile defense system in the site by the end of next year.
China and Russia have expressed strong opposition to the THAAD deployment in the South Korean soil as its X-band radar can spot Chinese and Russian territories far beyond the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Read the full story at Xinhua
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| THAAD Launcher |
THAAD's defense effect in S.Korea may be exaggerated
by Yoo Seungki
SEOUL, July 13 (Xinhua) -- South Korea decided Wednesday to deploy the U.S. missile defense system, namely the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), to its southeastern region, but it might have limited defense effect against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s missile attacks, experts said.
Seoul's defense ministry announced a plan to deploy one THAAD battery to the Seongsan-ri region of the Seongju county in North Gyeongsang province by the end of next year. Yoo Jeh-seung, deputy defense minister for policy, told a nationally televised briefing that U.S. interceptors can protect a half to two-thirds of South Korean territory.
According to the ministry, the THAAD system can shield regions as far as southern Gyeonggi province, which surrounds Seoul, from DPRK ballistic missiles as they have a maximum range of 200 km. The protectable range allegedly includes Pyeongtaek and Gunsan.
Pyeongtaek, some 70 km south of Seoul, is home to U.S. Forces Korea (USFK)'s new headquarters, while the U.S. Air Force has a large presence in Gunsan, about 270 km southwest of the capital.
Read the full story at Xinhua