14 January 2017, 19:01 GMT
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — In July 2016, Seoul and Washington agreed to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea's Seongju County amid growing tensions in the region spurred by North Korea's ballistic and nuclear tests.
China and Russia have repeatedly showed their objection to the deployment of THAAD, arguing that their real aim was to deter the strategic weapon systems not only in the Korean peninsula’s North, but primarily in China's hinterlands and Russia's far east regions.
"The president’s national security council and his national security team has been engaged with the incoming president’s team on a range of issues, including on North Korea," Earnest stated.
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