Deployment Of A U.S.-Korea Missile Defense System Has Been Delayed

DW: Contentious US-Korea missile defense system delayed

China has long campaigned against the deployment of the military system and some Korean politicians say it is not worth the trouble. It is a heated political issue in a country gripped by political instability.

The deployment of a controversial US missile defense system in South Korea designed to protect against North Korean aggression could be delayed, Seoul's defense ministry said on Monday.

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system was due to be built on a golf course owned by the Lotte Group conglomerate in the Seongju region, southeast of South Korea's capital Seoul.

"The plan to go ahead with the exchange will be signed by mid-January, but there is a possibility it will be slightly delayed," South Korean ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun said.

He said they were waiting on a meeting with Lotte directors to settle land use fees.

South Korea and the US had said the THAAD deployment was to protect against North Korea's growing nuclear and ballistic capabilities.

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Update #1: South Korea says securing THAAD location could be delayed (Reuters)
Update #2: THAAD site acquisition may be delayed for administrative reasons (Yonhap News)
Update #3: THAAD In Korean Peninsula: South Korea's Contract With US Over Securing Location Likely To Be Delayed (International Business Times)

WNU Editor: The deployment of a U.S. missile defense system in South Korea is now (not surprising) becoming an election issue .... THAAD is Becoming a South Korean Election Issue (VOA).