Roundup: S. Korea drums up need for THAAD deployment after DPRK nuke test

South Korea's military and ruling party chief on Monday drummed up need to deploy a U.S. missile defense battery on its territory after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear test in early January.

Kim Moo-Sung, chairman of the governing Saenuri Party, told a meeting with senior party members that it is high time for the country to take a forward-looking, active stance over the THAAD deployment as security preparation always assumes the worse-case scenario.

The THAAD stands for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, an advanced U.S. missile defense system designed to intercept ballistic missiles at an altitude of 40-150 km.

Kim said the DPRK's fourth nuclear test raised awareness that Pyongyang is a dangerous regime, calling review on whether to deploy the THAAD on the Korean peninsula as a natural follow-up to Pyongyang's nuclear detonation.

The DPRK claimed on Jan. 6 that it had tested its first hydrogen bomb.

Kim described the THAAD as defensive in nature, not offensive, making public comments on the need for the first time as the party chief.

The United States had expressed its willingness to deploy one or more THAAD batteries on the peninsula to help defend its ally against what Washington and Seoul called nuclear and missile threats from the DPRK.

In March 2015 when the ruling party's former floor leader raised the need for THAAD deployment, South Korea's military dismissed such calls as it was developing its own missile defense system, called the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD), based on indigenous technology.

The military's position, however, seemed to have made a sharp turn recently following the DPRK's new nuclear test.

Moon Sang-Kyun, newly appointed spokesman of Seoul's defense ministry, told his first regular press briefing that it would be "of course" helpful to defense and security of South Korea if the THAAD is deployed.

Moon said the THAAD deployment will help South Korea's national defense as the advanced U.S. missile defense system is one of tools to defend the country against the DPRK's nuclear and ballistic missile threats.

His comments are the repetition of former spokesman Kim Min-Seok's remarks made last Friday during a press briefing. It indicated South Korea's possible change in position over the THAAD deployment.

The military plans to complete the KAMD development by early 2020s by building a multi-layered missile defense system with long-range surface-to-air missiles (L-SAM) and medium-range surface-to-air missiles (M-SAM). Seoul believes that the multi-layered system can secure the second-stage interception after the failure of the first-stage interceptors.

The M-SAM aims to shoot down missiles at an altitude of less than 40 km, while the L-SAM will intercept missiles at an altitude of 40 km or above.

Asked whether the THAAD will be necessary in South Korea even after completing the L-SAM development, the spokesman said that overlapping operations will be helpful to South Korea's security and the two are separate systems with different ranges and operational platforms.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye also commented on the THAAD deployment, saying during her New Year's speech on Jan. 13 that the deployment will be reviewed in consideration of the DPRK's nuclear and missile threats and according to her country's security and national interests.

Defense Minister Han Min-koo said on Jan. 25 during his appearance of a TV program that reviews can be made on the deployment from the military perspective as South Korea has a limited capability against the DPRK threats.

A THAAD battery is composed of six mobile launchers, 48 missiles and airborne radar and fire control system. It is valued at about two trillion won (1.7 billion U.S. dollars). The forward-based mode radar allegedly has a maximum detectable range of 2,000 km. Endit