Anchor: South Korea's defense minister Han Min-koo has defended Seoul and Washington's decision to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense(THAAD) battery on South Korean soil amid strong opposition from China and Russia. Speaking to KBS, Han noted that the advanced missile defense system is capable of intercepting North Korea's ballistic missiles launched from both land and under water. 
Kim Bum-soo reports. 

Report: Seoul's Defense Minister Han Min-koo has justified the decision to install the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense(THAAD) battery in the nation against China and Russia's oppositions.

Appearing on KBS' 'Inside the Issue' program on Sunday, the defense minister addressed rising concerns over the presence of an advanced U.S. missile defense system on the Korean Peninsula. 

[Sound bite: Defense Minister Han Min-koo (Korean)]
"As I repeat, THAAD is a simple interception system to deal with North Korean nuclear and missile threats. On the issue of what kind of strategic value we can attach to it, I think that we need to confidently discuss with China and Russia how necessary and unavoidable it is for us. We need to be cool-headed if THAAD really has such destructive power and [we need to] beef up strategic communication."

Comments came amid strong opposition from China. The Chinese Foreign Minister on Saturday targeted the U.S., claiming that THAAD provides more than defense needs for South Korea. Beijing's Defense Ministry spokesman said on his part that the Chinese military will take necessary measures to ensure the nation's safety and strategic balance in the region. 

The South Korean defense chief said that the issue of the U.S. deployment of THAAD is South Korea's sovereign military decision. 

Minister Han added if another country is facing North Korean missile threats, tougher measures could have been taken. 

He then noted that THAAD is capable of striking ballistic missiles launched from North Korean submarines, of which the North carried out another test firing just the previous day.

[Sound bite: Defense Minister Han Min-koo (Korean)]
"In terms of our SLBM response, because these are launched from submarines we will first exert efforts to detect and decapitate before they are launched using naval submarines and anti-submarine operations. And if [an SLBM] is launched from waters northeast off the east coast, they would adjust its two-thousand kilometer range to target us. In that case, we can intercept it with THAAD just like the Musudan [road-mobile ballistic missiles.]"
 
The minister explained that THAAD is aimed at short- and medium-range missiles of less than three-thousand kilometers and it can strike the North's Skud, Rodong and road-mobile Musudan missiles when they are fired at a higher angle to target South Korea in a shorter range.   

He said that the site of the MD system has already been selected and will be announced soon, but only city or county level of information will be revealed due to military secrecy. 
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.