"We will maintain our principle that the decision for the THAAD installation is a sovereign and self-defense act aimed at protecting the country and its people from North Korea's nuclear and missile threats," Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck said, as quoted by the Yonhap news agency.
The outlet reported that earlier in the day the South Korean Defense Ministry had signed an agreement with the Lotte Group for a plot of land that would be used for the installation of the THAAD system.
Seoul and Washington reportedly aim to complete the joint project by the end of this year, but it could be done as early as May.
North Korea's nuclear program has been a source for concern for its closest neighbors, Japan and South Korea, as well as for the international community. On February 12, Pyongyang launched a medium-range ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan and declared the test successful. This and a number of previous launches were considered to be in violation of several resolutions by the United Nations.
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