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No plan to reverse US missile defense system deployment: S. Korea FM

TOKYO, June 26 (KUNA) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Monday that Seoul will not reverse the planned deployment of an advanced US missile defense system, Yonhap News Agency reported.
"As our president made it clear on numerous occasions, our government has no intention to basically reverse the commitments made in the spirit of the South Korea-US alliance," Kang was quoted as telling a forum in Seoul.
"Going through the environmental-impact assessment is an issue of domestic due process. It does not mean that we will cancel or reverse the decision to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)," she added.
The THAAD deployment has been suspended as South Korean President Moon Jae-in underlined the need for due process including a review on its environmental impact. But the move sparked speculation that South Korea might be considering scrapping its deployment. Seoul and Washington decided last year to deploy a THAAD battery in South Korea, which is designed to shoot down short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles at a higher altitude in their terminal phase using a hit-to-kill method.
"The deployment of THAAD was an alliance decision, so we will, as alliance, continue to collaborate on the basis of mutual trust," she noted.
In her recent conversation with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Kang also emphasized that the suspension is an "internal" step to ensure its democratic procedure and legitimacy. (end) mk.msa