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By Rachel Lee
South Korea will begin talks with the United States this month on whether to allow the latter to deploy an anti-ballistic missile defense system here, defense officials said Wednesday.
According to the Ministry of National Defense, Sunday, a joint working group is set to hold its first meeting sometime this month to discuss appropriate sites and costs for the deployment of the terminal high altitude area defense (THAAD) system.
The talks are expected to further ratchet up tensions on the Korean Peninsula with China and Russia protesting the possible deployment.
Washington wants to place the advanced U.S. missile defense system in the South after North Korea's long-range missile launch so that it can more effectively defend the South against the North's nuclear and missile threats.
The ministry said Maj. Gen. Jang Kyung-soo, director general of the ministry's policy planning bureau and Maj. Gen. Robert F. Hedelund, United States Forces Korea assistant chief of staff for policy and plans will lead the newly formed team as the representatives of Korea and the U.S., respectively.
After the North's missile launch, U.S. President Barack Obama made remarks about THAAD deployment to the South for the first time.
During an interview with CBS television, Sunday, he said: "What we're also doing is consulting with the South Koreans for the first time about more missile defense capabilities to prevent any possibility that North Korea could reach U.S. facilities or U.S. populations."
Obama also said he talked with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week about the "need to really tighten the noose" on North Korea.
China and Russia expressed opposition after South Korea and the U.S. announced the decision.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin summoned South Korean ambassador Kim Jang-soo, Sunday, to protest Seoul and Washington's agreement to begin talks on THAAD deployment.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said: "China's position about missile defense is consistent and clear. When a country seeks its own national security, it should not damage other countries' national security and interest."
Russia followed suit.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov expressed concern in a meeting with South Korean Ambassador Park Ro-byug, Russia's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
This is the first time that the Russian government has called in a South Korean ambassador to give a warning about the matter.
According to South Korea's Ministry of National Defense, some 1.5 trillion won ($1.2 billion) would be necessary in operating one THAAD unit. It also said South Korea would take charge of the site and other infrastructure, while the U.S. would bear the cost of deployment and operation.
Defense Minister Han Min-koo and his U.S. counterpart Ash Carter are scheduled to attend the Asia Security Summit, or the Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore this May; where decisions on the deployment may be officially announced.
