South Korea is committed to deploying an advanced US missile defence system this year despite opposition from China, a minister said on Wednesday, even as with a different message. Seoul and Washington agreed to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system in the South after a string of North Korean nuclear and missile tests – prompting strong objections from China. “THAAD deployment is part of our efforts to bolster defence against threats from North Korea,” Defence Minister Han Min-Koo said in a report to the country’s acting president. “This is not a subject for political considerations,” he told Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-Ahn, who took over the executive powers of scandal-hit President after she was impeached last month. But the opposition Democratic Party has said they will review the deployment if they win upcoming presidential elections, and a group of their lawmakers flew to Beijing to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other top officials.
