WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, South Korean media reported that THAAD deployment was underway at a site in the Seongju County despite massive protests of local residents.
"THAAD…will be operational in the coming days," Harris said in a testimony before the House Armed Services Committee.
South Korea approved the land transfer deal needed to provide land for the anti-ballistic missile system under its forces hosting agreement with the United States on Thursday. Installation work started shortly after despite local protests and the fact that the environmental impact assessment was still incomplete.
Seoul and Washington first agreed to deploy THAAD in July 2016. The system is designed to intercept short, medium and intermediate ballistic missiles at the terminal incoming stage.
