SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — The United States military is this week installing an anti-missile defense system in South Korea to counter potential attacks from North Korea against its neighbors and the U.S. <br /> <br />The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery (THAAD) is being installed by U.S. and South Korean forces at a golf course in Seongju County, South Korea amid heightened tensions between Washington and Pyongyang. <br /> <br />The anti-missile system consists of a truck-mounted launcher, a transportable radar system and control, and communication centers. <br /> <br />The system is designed to intercept and destroy short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles deployed from enemy territory. When the radar system detects an incoming missile, the interceptor is launched to meet the target head-on using kinetic energy to eliminate the immediate threat. <br /> <br />The installation of the anti-missile defense system comes in advance of South Korea’s presidential election on May 9. Liberal candidate Moon Jae-in, who opposes THAAD, is leading in the polls. <br /> <br />China has expressed concern about the system’s installation, claiming the move “will harm strategic balance in the region and further stimulate tensions on the Korean Peninsula,” according to a statement by Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, CNN reported. <br /> <br />Protests are mounting near the THAAD site, with hundreds of demonstrators speaking out against the anti-missile system on Wednesday. <br /> <br />U.S. Pacific Command commander Admiral Harry Harris said THAAD will be operational within the coming days, NPR reported.
