SEOUL: The commander of US forces in South Korea said on Friday a Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-missile system battery would be deployed to South Korea within eight to 10 months, an official from the US forces in South Korea said.

The official was commenting on a Yonhap news agency report on remarks made by Vincent Brooks, commander of United States Forces Korea, in which he laid out plans for the deployment.

Brooks said rotating strategic weaponry onto the Korean peninsula would have a deterrent effect against North Korean provocations, according to the agency. He also said the battery would be bigger than one deployed in Guam.

The official could not confirm Brook’s comment on rotation, but said the US and South Korean governments are currently in discussions for such strategic weaponry deployment.

In September, two US B-1 bombers flew over South Korea in a show of force and solidarity with its ally following North Korea’s fifth nuclear test.

Washington and Seoul have agreed to deploy the THAAD system in South Korea to protect against North Korean threats. China was angered by the decision as its worries that the system’s powerful radar can see into its territory.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2016