S.Korea to decide on U.S. missile defense deployment "on its own"

South Korea's Defense Ministry said Tuesday that it will decide on whether to deploy the advanced U.S. missile defense system on the Korean Peninsula based"on its own judgment."

Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok told a routine press briefing that though neighboring countries can have their own positions on the THAAD deployment by the U.S. Forces Korea, the neighbors"should not try to exercise their influence on our national defense and security policy."

The THAAD stands for Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, the advanced U.S. missile defense system developed by the U.S.-based Lockheed Martin. It was designed to intercept ballistic missiles at an altitude of 40-150 km.

The United States has expressed its hope to deploy the THAAD battery on the Korean Peninsula to better fend off what it claimed nuclear and missile threats from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). "If the U.S. government asks (South Korea) for consultations after deciding on the THAAD deployment by the U.S. Forces Korea, our defense ministry plans to make a decision and judgment on our own after considering military effectiveness and national security interests,"said Kim.

The spokesman said the issue on the THAAD deployment came from the perspectives of deterrence and response to the DPRK's nuclear and missile threats, which should be eliminated. He said that the Defense Ministry is mainly tasked with protecting the life and safety of South Koreans.

Asked whether to purchase the THAAD system, Kim said South Korea"has never any plan to purchase the THAAD,"noting that the country only has a plan to establish its own missile defense system called Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD). Endi