Ministry: More THAAD launchers to be deployed Thursday

Published : Sept 6, 2017 - 17:34 Updated : Sept 6, 2017 - 17:34

Four more THAAD rocket launchers will be installed this week at the US missile defense base in South Korea, the Ministry of National Defense announced Wednesday.

It said the US Forces Korea will position the launchers at its new base in Seongju, some 300 kilometers south of Seoul, on Thursday.

The move comes after North Korea's recent string of ballistic missile and nuclear tests.

The ministry stressed the urgency of mobilizing the assets, now stored at a nearby USFK compound, amid growing threats from the unpredictable neighbor.

Protestors against the THAAD launch block the path (Yonhap)

Two launchers and a powerful X-band radar are in operation at the former golf course. A THAAD battery is known to require at least six rocket launchers.

The ministry described the deployment as "provisional," citing the need for additional environmental impact assessment of the THAAD system, a process expected to take at least several months.

Local residents have fiercely protested against the THAAD deployment, taking issue with related domestic procedures. (Yonhap)