China concerned after South Korea’s military hides THAAD missile launchers from new president Moon
Documents submitted to Moon Jae-in shortly after he came to office this month were redacted to remove mention of four new rocket launchers for the THAAD system that has angered China
China said on Wednesday it was seriously concerned about the delivery of more launchers for a controversial US anti-missile system that South Korean military officials kept secret from President Moon Jae-in.
Moon has ordered a probe at South Korea’s Defence Ministry, saying it was “very shocking” the launchers had been brought in without being reported to the new government or to the public, presidential Blue House spokesman Yoon Young-chan said on Tuesday.
The Defence Ministry intentionally omitted details about the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system battery in a report last week, when the new government was preparing for Moon’s summit with US President Donald Trump next month, Yoon told a briefing.
“The Blue House has confirmed that the Defence Ministry has intentionally dropped the introduction of four more launchers in its report,” Yoon said.
China opposes the THAAD deployment, saying the system’s powerful radar can probe deep into its territory and can undermine its security.