Alwaght- South Korean President has ordered a probe after the US deployed four more launchers for the controversial US THAAD anti-missile system without having his government permission.
President Moon Jae-in has ordered his senior secretary for civil affairs and head of the National Security Office to find the truth behind the unauthorized entry of the four rocket launchers.
Presidential spokesman Yoon Young-chan told a media briefing on Tuesday that, Moon was “shocked” to hear that the four additional THAAD launchers, deployed to counter the North Korean missile threat, were brought in without being reported to the new government or to the public.
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) is designed to intercept short, medium and intermediate-range ballistic missiles during their terminal flight phase. Equipped with long-range radar, it is believed to be capable of intercepting North Korea’s intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
The deployment of the THAAD system by the US military, agreed by the government of Moon’s predecessor, was a controversial issue in the May 10 presidential election and has infuriated China.
China says the system’s powerful radar can penetrate deep into its territory and undermine its security. South Korea and the US claim the deployment is aimed purely at defense against North Korea.
Moon has pledged to seek a parliamentary review of the THAAD system, and sent his representative, Lee Hae-chan, to China to meet President Xi Jinping this month.
China and Russia worry that the deployment would further destabilize the already-restive Korean Peninsula. They also say THAAD’s powerful radar system can penetrate their territory and challenge their security.
Beijing and Moscow have agreed to take unspecified “countermeasures” in response to THAAD’s deployment.
