The United States and South Korea have reached an agreement to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) battery to Korea, according to the Defense Department. The move is an attempt by the United States to reassure its ally as North Korea ratchets up its testing and development of ballistic missiles. A Pentagon statement on the decision emphasizes that the THAAD system "will be focused solely on North Korean nuclear and missile threats and would not be directed towards any third party nations."
The throat clearing is a nod to anxieties from China, which has lobbied hard against the deployment on the grounds that the system could be used to peer into Chinese airspace or directed at its forces. China swiftly condemned the agreement in the state-run People's Daily, with a statement from its foreign ministry registering "strong discontent and resolute opposition" to the upcoming deployment.
The throat clearing is a nod to anxieties from China, which has lobbied hard against the deployment on the grounds that the system could be used to peer into Chinese airspace or directed at its forces. China swiftly condemned the agreement in the state-run People's Daily, with a statement from its foreign ministry registering "strong discontent and resolute opposition" to the upcoming deployment.
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