TOKYO (Sputnik) – In February, the US Department of Defense said it planned to begin talks with Seoul on deploying a THAAD battery to South Korea to defend the area against the threat of North Korean missiles.
"The THAAD system to be operated by USFK [United States Forces Korea] will contribute to the defense of South Korea from North Korea's increasing nuclear and missile threats," the ministry said in a statement, as quoted by the South Korean Yonhap news agency of Friday.
On Friday, Yonhap reported citing a military source that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended the test-firing of a new multiple rocket launcher, ordering the country’s nuclear weapons to be made ready for use at any moment.
Reports of a possible THAAD deployment to South Korea amid Pyongyang’s activities have circulated over recent months, and have been met with harsh criticism from Beijing, which alleges the system threatens China.
