By Jung Sung-ki
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea is pushing for deployment on its soil of a US high-altitude air defense system as North Korean missile threats expand.
The move has stoked fears in China, which believes deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system could help Washington to expand its military power in the region.
South Korea is prioritizing THAAD deployment with US Forces Korea (USFK) rather than purchasing the weapon system.
“Deployment of the THAAD system needs to be seen in the perspective of national defense and security,” Defense Minister Han Min-koo said Jan. 25 during an interview with a local TV station. “There is a limitation to our capabilities, so there is a military need for a thorough review of the THAAD.”
His comments came on the heels of South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s support for the THAAD deployment.
“The deployment of THAAD will be considered based on our security and national interests and also by taking into account the North’s nuclear and missile threats,” Park said in a Jan. 13 national address.
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