The army of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea issued a warning Monday that it will take "physical measures" against the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in South Korea by the United States.
Seoul and Washington announced Friday the deployment of the THAAD as part of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) stationed in South Korea to better tackle the so-called nuclear and missile threats from the DPRK.
Countries in the region including China and Russia have repeatedly voiced opposition to THAAD on the Korean Peninsula, whose radar can locate missiles far beyond the DPRK territory.
DEPLOYMENT AMID OPPOSITION
Under the operational control of the USFK commander, the allied forces of the United States and South Korea reportedly aim to deploy one THAAD battery by the end of next year. Its site would be announced within weeks.
A THAAD battery is composed of six mobile launchers, 48 interceptors, an airborne radar and a fire control system.
THAAD, designed by the U.S. defense company Lockheed Martin, can shoot down missiles in a terminal phase using a hit-to-kill approach. The X-band radar can spot a missile as far as 2,000 km with a forward-based mode and 600 km with a terminal mode. As the two have the same hardware, the terminal mode, which South Korea allegedly plans to adopt, can be changed into a radar with a much longer detectable range.
Seoul, allegedly having no plan to purchase the THAAD system estimated at about 1.5 trillion won (1.3 billion U.S. dollars), would provide site and infrastructure for the deployment, while Washington would pay the costs for operation and maintenance of the system.
The two countries have been engaged in consultations since February on whether to deploy the THAAD system, which they say would enhance defense against DPRK threats.
However, civic group activists in South Korea warned that the deployment of THAAD will trigger arms race in Northeast Asia and escalate regional tensions.
DPRK WARNED OF "MERCILESS RETALIATORY STRIKES"
In the warning carried by the official KCNA news agency, the DPRK's army voiced its "steadfast will" to "make merciless retaliatory strikes" against South Korea.
