South Korea bets on home-grown missile defence system to replace US-made THAAD that angered China

The launch of a long-range surface-to-air missile interceptor is seen as an alternative to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system that earlier earned Beijing’s wrath

It comes amid opposition presidential front runner Yoon Suk-yeol’s push to ‘buy’ and deploy the expensive US-built anti-missile shield near Seoul

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South Korea’s opposition presidential front runner Yoon Suk-yeol during a campaign rally in the southeastern city of Ulsan. Photo: EPA-EFE via Yonhap

Published: 2:27pm, 24 Feb 2022Updated: 2:31pm, 24 Feb 2022

South Korea successfully test-fired a long-range missile interceptor that could potentially replace an expensive US missile defence system installed in 2017 which triggered China’s wrath.

The state-run Agency for Defence Development launched the long-range surface-to-air missile (L-SAM) on Wednesday from a testing site in Taean, 150km southwest of Seoul, Yonhap reported.

The interceptor’s development came amid a recent barrage of North Korean ballistic missile tests and call by South Korea’s opposition presidential front runner Yoon Suk-yeol for further deployment of the US-built Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system near the Seoul metropolitan area to defend the capital from its nuclear-armed neighbour.

China, which sees the THAAD as a direct threat to its own security, retaliated economically against South Korea when it deployed the missile shield in Seongju, some 180km southeast of Seoul, five years ago.

Yoon, the People Power Party’s candidate, said he plans to “buy” the system from the US if elected to the top post in the March 9 election.

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