The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae has defended the decision reached by South Korea and the U.S. to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense(THAAD) battery to South Korea.

An official of the top office told reporters on Friday that the decision to deploy the advanced missile system is a self-defense measure to safeguard national safety and protect public lives against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

The official said that the issue of rising threats from North Korea is a matter of survival for South Korea and its people. 

The official added the decision came considering that if North Korea wages a provocation, South Korea and its people are the foremost victims.