The US military yesterday started moving parts of its controversial Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system to a deployment site in South Korea amid high tensions over North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs.
The earlier-than-expected move prompted protests by hundreds of South Koreans and was denounced by South Korean presidential election frontrunner Moon Jae-in.
A spokesman for Moon said the decision “ignored public opinion and due process,” and demanded the deployment be suspended until the next administration was in place after the May 9 election and had made its policy decision.
PHOTO: AP
The US and South Korea last year agreed to deploy the THAAD system to counter the threat of missile launches by North Korea.
However, the move has angered China, which said the advanced system would do little to deter the North, while destabilizing the regional security balance.
The South Korean Ministry of Defense said some elements of THAAD were moved to the site on what had been a golf course in the south of the country.
“South Korea and the United States have been working to secure an early operational capability of the THAAD system in response to North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile threat,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that the battery is expected to be operational by the end of the year.
Television footage showed military trailers carrying large units, including what appeared to be launch canisters being driven into the planned THAAD battery site, about 250km south of Seoul.
Images showed protesters hurling water bottles at the vehicles, while police block them.
More than 10 protesters were injured during clashes with police and some of them had bone fractures, said Kim Jong-kyung, cohead of a group protesting the THAAD deployment.
The Pentagon said the deployment was a critical measure to defend South Korea and its allies against North Korean missile threats and it would complete it “as soon as feasible.”
The US and South Korean militaries have been reluctant to publicly discuss the progress of the deployment ahead of the South Korean presidential election.
Moon has said the new South Korean administration should decide whether to deploy the THAAD after gathering public opinion and further discussions with Washington.
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