U.S. military efficacy to be key factor in deploying THAAD: Defense Ministry

Military efficacy from the standpoint of the American forces stationed in South Korea will be the key determinant in picking the location to deploy an advanced U.S. missile defense system, the Defense Ministry said Monday.

"Criteria of the U.S. side will be taken the most seriously," ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun said in a regular briefing after being asked to clarify whose military efficacy will take priority in choosing the location of the looming deployment.

Hours after North Korea's latest long-range missile test launch on Feb. 7, South Korea and the U.S. unveiled their plan to bring in a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery into South Korea to counter North Korea's short-to-medium-range missile threats.

"Because it is operated by U.S. Forces Korea, the location will be selected and reviewed for (their) military efficacy so (they) can intercept North Korea-launched missiles from the optimum spot," Moon noted.

Where to deploy the THAAD battery is a source of intense controversy in and outside of South Korea as a number of local cities are counted by local media as candidate locations to host the air defense system, including the southern city of Daegu and Pyeongtaek, the relocated headquarters of USFK.

A deployment close to the inter-Korean border could enrage China, which suspects the U.S. missile interceptor puts China within its range.

In the end, the allies would have to choose a high-ground location for the deployment in order to prevent any deflection of radar beams emanating from the THAAD operations, a ministry official said, without discussing which locations could meet the requirements.

The Defense Ministry said last week the allies could kick off their official working-level negotiations over the deployment this week to decide when and where to deploy THAAD as well as cost sharing issues.

The opening of the negotiations could be pushed back to next week, another defense official said, adding that the two sides are taking time to sign terms of deference before launching their working-level talks.

Earlier in the day, the mayor of Daegu's security aide Kim Sang-kyong held a press conference to voice the city's opposition to bringing THAAD into the populous region.

"It is basically up to the central government to decide whether to deploy THAAD from the national security standpoint," Kim said. "Daegu may be a suitable location from the perspective of military operations, but it is an inappropriate place given the large population in the city," he noted.

The mayor of Pyeongtaek also said on his social network accounts over the weekend that the city is not appropriate for THAAD deployment.

Pyeongtaek is already hosting an array of national security-related facilities including the USFK headquarters, and it could cost a large sum of money to move residents in the event of the deployment, Mayor Kong Jae-kwang, vowing efforts to fight a potential deployment. (Yonhap)