South Korea on Wednesday identified a military base in the southern town of Seongju as the future site for a U.S. anti-missile interceptor and radar unit that some say will shift the regional balance of power.
China and Russia have condemned the planned deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system on the Korean Peninsula, with North Korea threatening to attack the site ahead of the announcement.
Deploying THAAD at Seongju would help "more firmly secure the safety of our people in one-half to two-thirds of South Korea's entire territory," South Korea's Defense Ministry said in a statement quoted by the Yonhap news agency. THAAD would help to thwart missile attacks on nuclear power plants, oil refineries and military targets, it added.
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