Also on Monday, the North cut all communications with the USA through its office at the UN – a rare channel of communications between the two nations that do not have official diplomatic ties.
Advertisement
North Korea, who claim to have nuclear weapons, threatened a “physical response” after US and South Korean forces announced plans to set-up a missile defence system in the democratic South.
The warning was aimed at South Korea and U.S.’s commitment to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system that would effectively counter North Korea’s increasing nuclear capabilities.
If Pyongyang launches short-range Scud missiles to attack Seoul or the metropolitan area in Gyeonggi Province, the U.S. Patriot missile defense system has already been deployed to take care of them, so the argument goes.
North Korea’s military on Monday threatened to retaliate against the move by the South and the United States by taking “physical response” once the location and time of the deployment are decided.
The location will allow the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to provide protection for up to two-thirds of the South Korean population and for nuclear power plants and oil storage facilities, the South’s Defence Ministry said.
China and Russia have expressed strong opposition to the THAAD deployment as its X-band radar can spot Chinese and Russian territories far beyond North Korea.
China and Russian Federation also oppose the system that they believe help United States radars spot missiles in their countries.
Tensions have soared since Pyongyang carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, followed by a series of missile launches that analysts say show the North is making progress toward being able to strike the United States mainland.
The move to deploy the THAAD system also drew a swift and sharp protest from China.
North Korea frequently threatens to attack South Korea and United States interests in Asia and the Pacific.
Seoul denounced the “ridiculous threats” by the North, which had staged serious provocations including a nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket launch in February.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, South Korean President Park Geun-hye said that the THAAD system was not meant to target any third country.
He added that even if there was no North Korea, the Americans would have come up with something else, something that Zhebin said has clearly been confirmed by the example of Europe.
“The diplomatic situations for us have become very tough”, a government official told Yonhap News Agency on condition of anonymity, referring to the recent ruling.
South Korea is expected to host U.S. missiles and a radar array. The THAAD’s radar is said to be powerful enough to monitor some of the missile bases in Russian Federation and China from South Korea.
North Korea is now keeping captive USA student Otto Warmbier, accused of taking down a communist poster.
The North Korean President, Park Geun-hye, argued that China’s worry was unwarranted.
It will be used “to protect alliance military forces”, Seoul and Washington said on Friday.
Advertisement
South Korean media reported the southeastern rural town of Seongju has been picked as the site.
