JCS chief nominee says no plan to adopt THAAD

South Korea has no plan yet to adopt the U.S.' Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system although its local deployment could benefit the South Korean military, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman designate said Monday.

"At this moment, our military does not have any plan to introduce THAAD," Army Gen. Lee Sun-jin said in a parliamentary confirmation hearing.

"The military currently has weapon systems it is trying to deploy within the Korean Air and Missile Defense system," he added.

The remarks were in response to ruling Saenuri Party's Rep. Yoo Seong-min's question on whether the nominee wants the deployment of the U.S. anti-ballistic missile defense system if he takes office.

Further asked whether KAMD, the local defense system, is sufficient to defend the country, Lee said KAMD needs further development.

"Any deployment of THAAD will be determined under our initiative in consideration of military benefits and national interest," he said, adding that if the U.S. Forces Korea deploys THAAD on South Korean soil, it would help the military.

Touching on North Korea's nuclear capabilities, Lee said the communist country is believed to have miniaturized nuclear weapons "to a considerable extent," but whether the country has deployed them for combat use has not been confirmed yet.

Lee was named as the next Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman last month to replace Adm. Choi Yoon-hee, whose two-year term ends in mid-October. (Yonhap)