South Korea’s controversial THAAD missile defense system is one step closer to reality after Lotte International approved a land swap deal with the government Monday, an official with the country’s Ministry of Defense said.
The THAAD, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, system is designed to shoot down short, medium and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, such as those North Korea claims to own.
The deal between international conglomerate Lotte and the South Korean government will allow the THAAD system to be deployed on the military’s preferred site.
The contract will officially be signed on Tuesday, the official told CNN. The US and the South Korean governments are planning to deploy the system by the end of 2017.
During his recent trip to South Korea, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said his country was determined to defend South Korea against the “evolving North Korean threat. ”
But speaking at a news conference Monday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang said it would “severely disrupt regional strategic balance.
