North Korea Rocket Launch Prompts US To Expedite The Deployment Of THAAD Missile In South Korea
The deal between the US and South Korea for the deployment of advanced missile defense systems in the latter was seemingly in a stagnated mode for the past two years.
However, that is about to change now after the recent North Korea Rocket launch that drew condemnation from all the major powers across the globe.
The Pentagon on Monday announced that it is planning to assist South Korea to enact a credible missile-defense shield against any possible future North Korean attack, Daily Mail reported.
The talks between the two countries started back in 2014 when General Curtis Scaparroti, the US military commander in South Korea, asked his government to send in the ground-based Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (or THAAD) units to counter the ever increasing threats posed by Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and missiles.
North Korea's latest rocket launch "represents yet another destabilizing and provocative action that only undermines peace and stability in the region," Peter Cook, Pentagon spokesman, said on Monday, as reported by the CNS News.
Speaking on the deployment of THAAD in South Korea, the spokesperson further explained details.
"This is an alliance decision that we're making with South Korea, and we're doing this in response to what the North Koreans have done, and that's how it should be viewed," he said.
However, China voiced against the move saying it fears, introducing THAAD in the region could trigger a new arms race in its immediate neighborhood.
Cook played down the Chinese concerns stating that THAAD will be aimed only at countering any possible threats emanating from North Korea.
Meanwhile, the Communist Party-affiliated Global Times newspaper which reflects the official stand of the Chinese government.
"If THAAD takes root in South Korea, it will be officially considered as a target of research by the Chinese military from both the strategic and tactical dimensions," said in a report. "We cannot be easily convinced by South Korea and the U.S. that the system only aims to deter North Korea."