South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday ordered a special probe into what the presidential office called the secret or undisclosed entry of four rocket launchers into the country under the U.S. missile defense program deployed here, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.
"President Moon was briefed on such facts by National Security Office (NSO) chief Chung Eui-yong and said it was very shocking," Moon's chief press secretary Yoon Young-chan said at a press briefing.
The president then called Defense Minister Han Min-koo to confirm the delivery of the four rocket launchers into the country, Yoon added.
Han confirmed, also admitting he had prior knowledge.
The Cheong Wa Dae official said the equipment in question came in addition to two launchers that have been authorized and deployed as part of the THAAD missile defense system.
The defense ministry, however, failed to disclose the entry of the additional equipment to the new government despite its report to Moon's de facto power transition team last week, Yoon noted.
"President Moon ordered his senior secretary for civil affairs and the NSO chief to find the truth behind the unauthorized entry of the four rocket launchers," he said.
Yoon said the probe will also seek to find out who authorized the undisclosed entry of the additional U.S. weapons, and why it had never been disclosed.
"President Moon also ordered to find the truth about why it (the unauthorized equipment) has never been reported to the people or the new government."
Moon has remained critical of the deployment of the U.S. missile defense system, though he has yet to take any action against the U.S. defense assets installed in the small southeastern county of Seongju, located some 300 kilometers from Seoul.
The president earlier cited what he called a procedural flaw in the government decision to allow the deployment of the U.S. defense system here, insisting the former Seoul government should have secured parliamentary approval.
The press secretary noted there were suspicions of an attempt to avoid social and political scrutiny over the possible impact the rocket launchers could have on the environment. (Yonhap)