Tensions in Korean Peninsula: US moves THAAD to South Korea site
The US military started moving parts of an anti-missile defence system to a deployment site in South Korea yesterday, triggering protests from villagers and criticism from China, amid tension over North Korea's weapons development.
The earlier-than-expected steps to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system was also denounced by the frontrunner in South Korea's presidential election on May 9.
South Korea's defence ministry said elements of THAAD were moved to the deployment site, on what had been a golf course, about 250 km south of the capital, Seoul.
"South Korea and the United States have been working to secure an early operational capability of the THAAD system in response to North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threat," the ministry said in a statement.
The battery was expected to be operational by the end of the year, it said.
The United States and South Korea agreed last year to deploy the THAAD to counter the threat of missile launches by North Korea. They say it is solely aimed at defending against North Korea.
But China says the system's advanced radar can penetrate deep into its territory and undermine its security, while it will do little to deter the North, and is adamant in its opposition.
"China strongly urges the United States and South Korea to stop actions that worsen regional tensions and harm China's strategic security interests and cancel the deployment of the THAAD system and withdraw the equipment," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a briefing.
"China will resolutely take necessary steps to defend its interests," Geng said, without elaborating.
The United States began moving the first elements of the system to South Korea in March after the North tested four ballistic missiles.
The liberal politician expected to win South Korea's election, Moon Jae-in, has called for a delay in the deployment, saying the new administration should make a decision after gathering public opinion and more talks with Washington.
Television footage showed military trailers carrying equipment, including what appeared to be launch canisters, to the battery site.
Protesters shouted and hurled water bottles at the vehicles over lines of police holding them back.
WE WILL FIGHT
More than 10 protesters were injured, some of them with fractures, in clashes with police, Kim Jong-kyung, a leader of villagers opposing the deployment, told Reuters.
Kim said about 200 protesters rallied overnight and they would keep up their opposition.
"There's still time for THAAD to be actually up and running so we will fight until equipment is withdrawn from the site and ask South Korea's new government to reconsider," Kim told Reuters by telephone.
The United States is sending the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group to waters off the Korean peninsula, where it will join the USS Michigan, a nuclear submarine that docked in South Korea on Tuesday. South Korea's navy has said it will hold drills with the US strike group.
North Korea's foreign ministry denounced a scheduled UN Security Council meeting on Friday, chaired by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, saying the United States was "not morally entitled" to force members states to impose sanctions on it.
China's envoy on North Korea, Wu Dawei, met his Japanese counterpart, Kenji Kanasugi, for talks in Tokyo and they agreed that they would "respond firmly" to any further North Korean provocation, Japan's foreign ministry said.
CHINESE AIRCRAFT CARRIER
China launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier yesterday amid rising tension over North Korea and worries about Beijing's assertiveness in the South China Sea.
State media has quoted military experts as saying the carrier, China's second and built in the northeastern port of Dalian, is not expected to enter service until 2020, once it has been kitted out and armed.
The launch "shows our country's indigenous aircraft carrier design and construction has achieved major step-by-step results", Xinhua news agency said.
Fan Changlong, a vice chairman of China's powerful Central Military Commission, presided over the ceremony, Xinhua said, during which a bottle of champagne was broken on the bow.
The launch follows China's celebration on Sunday of the 68th birthday of the founding of the Chinese navy, and comes amid renewed tensions between North Korea and the United States over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes.
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