S. Korea, US yet to determine when, where to deploy THAAD

South Korea and the United States have yet to decide when and where to deploy the advanced American defense shield Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), Seoul's defense ministry said Tuesday, dismissing growing media speculations over an imminent deployment decision.

"The THAAD deployment is being discussed by (the allies') joint working group, and based on the results of the discussion, a final decision will be made at the South Korea-U.S.-alliance level," Moon Sang-gyun, spokesman at the Ministry of National Defense, said in a regular briefing.

"Nothing has been decided yet over the date and location," he said, also calling on the media to refrain from speculative reporting.

The comments came as Frank Rose, U.S. assistant secretary of state for arms control, verification and compliance, is paying a four-day visit to South Korea.

South Korea's Donga Ilbo newspaper reported earlier in the day that the U.S. official's visit signals the allies' THAAD negotiations are nearing the final stage. The report said the allies are warming toward selecting Chilgok, a southeastern town where a U.S. military base is located, as the location for the deployment of THAAD.

Rose is scheduled to meet with defense deputy minister for policy Yoo Jeh-seung later in the day, but their meeting would only revolve around arms control and space cooperation issues, the spokesman said. "As far as I know, any discussion on THAAD will not take place at the venue," Moon said.

The allies have been negotiating the idea of deploying one THAAD battery in South Korea since March to counter North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats. (Yonhap)