Cheong Wa Dae reiterates THAAD is self-defense measure

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on Monday reiterated the recent decision by South Korea and the United States to station an advanced anti-missile system here was a "self-defensive" measure to counter growing military threats from North Korea.

"The (planned) deployment of THAAD (Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense) is a self-defense step to safeguard the well-being of the country, the lives of the people and their properties," presidential spokesman Jung Youn-kuk told reporters.

The statement comes amid strong protests from China and Russia, which have long argued that the installment of THAAD would undermine their security interests, although South Korea and the U.S. have made it clear that the new defensive asset would only target the North.

Beijing has expressed "strong discontent and firm opposition" against the allies' plan to deploy THAAD here. Moscow voiced "very serious concern" over the plan.

Experts said that China is concerned that a radar system, attached to a THAAD battery, could be used to monitor China's military activities. China also fears that THAAD could undermine its nuclear deterrence against the U.S. and its capabilities to project power farther into the Pacific, the experts said.

The THAAD, a core part of America's multilayered missile defense program, is designed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles at altitudes of 40 to 150 kilometers during the terminal phase of flight after detecting the missiles with a land-based radar system.

A THAAD battery consists of six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors (eight per launcher), a fire control and communications unit and an AN/TPY-2 radar. (Yonhap)