The missile defense system is contentious in South Korea and has drawn sharp criticism from China, which sees the system’s radar as a threat. Beijing has taken retaliatory economic measures against Seoul, including curtailing the flow of Chinese tourists and punishing South Korean companies in China.

During his campaign, Mr. Moon, who won the presidency last month, complained that the United States and the previous South Korean administration had rushed to deploy Thaad in order to present him with a fait accompli. His decision to suspend the installation could strain relations with the White House, which has taken a hard line in confronting North Korea and its nuclear weapons program. It could also hurt American efforts to present a tough, unified position with Japan and South Korea against the North.

Mr. Moon, who has said he wants to resolve the nuclear crisis through dialogue, has also suggested that South Korea must “learn to say no” to Washington. He has already signaled a softening stance toward North Korea by encouraging aid groups to visit the country, although the North has rejected those offers since Seoul supported new United Nations sanctions.

Analysts said that as people protested the Thaad installation and South Korean businesses pressured the government to improve relations with China, Mr. Moon might have decided that suspending the progress of the system was politically expedient.

“I think he is trying to find a diplomatic way to slow down the process to placate the business community and placate his political supporters,” said Stephen R. Nagy, senior associate professor of politics and international studies at International Christian University in Tokyo.

Mr. Moon may also have sensed that China was not going to back down. When Lee Hae-chan, South Korea’s special presidential envoy, visited Beijing last month, President Xi Jinping did not concede anything. China’s strategy is to stand firm against Thaad to force Mr. Moon to modify or even eliminate the system, which the Chinese suspect he does not like, either.</s>North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shown observing missile test in photos published May 30, 2017, in Rodong Sinmun, the official organ of the ruling Workers' Party. The photos did not include a caption but accompanied a story about a launch the day before of a reported short-range missile.

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea fired a salvo of short-range cruise missiles into the sea Thursday in an apparent show of force aimed at protesting the recent deployment of U.S. aircraft carriers in the region, officials said.

It also came a day after South Korea’s new president suspended the further deployment of a controversial U.S. missile defense system pending a full environmental impact assessment.

The test – the fourth since President Moon Jae-in took office last month - ratcheted up already-high tensions over Pyongyang’s weapons program, which has the stated goal of developing a missile that could deliver a nuclear warhead to the U.S. mainland.

Those fired Thursday, however, were not believed to have used ballistic technology that has been banned by U.N. Security Council resolutions, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Spokesman Roh Jae-cheon said the projectiles were assumed to be short-range, surface-to-ship cruise missiles launched from an area near the east coast city of Wonsan. They traveled at an altitude of less than a mile and a distance of about 125 miles before crashing into the sea between the peninsula and Japan, he added.

Officials were still analyzing details, including the type and number of missiles.

“We’re estimating their intention was to do an armed protest in order to show off their various missiles and pinpoint strike capabilities against vessels in connection with the joint naval exercises involving U.S. aircraft carriers,” Roh said during a press briefing.

He added it was likely part of an effort to boost North Korea’s leverage in any future dealings with the U.S. or South Korea.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it has beefed up surveillance and was maintaining full preparedness in case of “additional provocations.”

Moon - who was elected May 9 in a snap election after ex-President Park Geun-hye was ousted and jailed over an influence-peddling and corruption scandal – convened a meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the latest provocation.

The left-leaning leader campaigned on a promise of easing tensions and pursuing dialogue with North Korea, but those goals have been tested by the North’s defiance and repeated missile tests. North Korea also conducted two nuclear tests last year.

The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously last week to impose broader sanctions against the North to punish it for violating a ban on using ballistic technology. The new sanctions included a travel ban and asset freeze to more than a dozen people and North Korean entities.

Moon also promised to review his predecessor’s decision to allow the U.S. to station a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, better known as THAAD, in South Korea. His administration is investigating allegations the country’s defense ministry – which is still run by a Park appointee - of failing to disclose the delivery of four launchers for the unit.

Officials said Wednesday that the two launchers already on THAAD’s designated site in the southeastern area of Seongju will stay put, but the other four cannot be installed until a full environmental impact study is completed.

The U.S., which has some 28,500 servicemembers stationed in South Korea, also has become increasingly worried about North Korea’s progress.

Last month, the U.S. successfully conducted its first missile-defense test involving a simulated attack by an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The U.S. military also sent two aircraft carriers – the USS Carl Vinson and the USS Ronald Reagan – to the waters off the peninsula in recent months. The USS Nimitz also was headed to the region.

The Carl Vinson and Ronald Reagan have left the area after concluding operations with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in the Sea of Japan, according to the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

“While I won’t discuss the future schedules of our vessels, I can confirm that Reagan is continuing their previously scheduled patrol in the Western Pacific and Vinson has begun the transit back to the United States,” Pacific Fleet spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Matt Knight said Thursday in an email.

He added that the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group has started its deployment and is operating in the vicinity of the U.S. West Coast.

North Korea sees the presence of U.S. military hardware as proof that Washington and Seoul are rehearsing for an invasion, despite the allies’ insistence that the moves are defensive.

Kim Tae-woo, a security expert and professor at South Korea’s Konyang University, said Thursday’s missile launches were directly related to the U.S. aircraft carriers.

“This is understood by North Korea clearly as a demonstration of muscle by the United States so they wanted to respond to that with power,” he said.</s>SEOUL: North Korea fired what appeared to be several land-to-ship missiles off its east coast on Thursday, South Korea's military said, a day after the South postponed full deployment of a controversial U.S. anti-missile system designed to deter a North Korean attack.

The launches, the latest in a fast-paced series of missile tests defying world pressure to rein in its weapons programme, come less than a week after the United Nations Security Council passed fresh sanctions on the reclusive state.

South Korea on Wednesday said it will hold off on installing remaining components of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system that has angered North Korea's main ally, China, amid early signs of easing tensions between the two countries.

The missiles were launched Thursday morning from the North Korean coastal city of Wonsan and flew about 200 km (124 miles), South Korea's Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

Under third-generation leader Kim Jong Un, North Korea has been conducting missile tests at an unprecedented pace in an effort to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of hitting the mainland United States.

Compared to the different types of ballistic missiles Pyongyang has recently tested, the missiles launched on Thursday are considered to be more defensive in nature, designed to defend against threats such as enemy warships.

North Korea unveiled a number of new weapons at a massive military parade on April 15 to mark the birth anniversary of the state's founding leader and has since tested some of them.

"What appeared to be a new type of land-to-ship missile equipped with four launching canisters was unveiled at the parade," said Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at Kyungnam University’s Far Eastern Studies in Seoul. "I think this might be what was used today."

Thursday's launch is the fourth missile test by North Korea since South Korean President Moon Jae-in took office on May 10 pledging to engage in dialogue with Pyongyang. Moon says sanctions and pressure alone have failed to resolve the growing threat from the North's advancing nuclear and missile programme.

Moon had also promised to review the deployment of the THAAD system in South Korea, a decision that was made by the government of his conservative predecessor, Park Geun-hye. On Wednesday, Moon's office said installation of four additional launchers would be halted until an assessment of the system's impact on the environment was completed.

Two launchers of the full six-launcher THAAD battery, as well as the system's far-reaching radar that China worries could upset the regional security balance, have already been installed at a deployment site in the southeastern city of Seongju. The elements will stay in place, South Korea said.

The introduction of the THAAD system has sparked protests in South Korea and a backlash in China against South Korean business interests.

The Global Times, published by China's official People's Daily, said in an editorial that no matter the outcome of the environmental study, South Korea's announcement could reduce friction.

"Obviously, the pressure China puts on South Korea has taken effect. Seoul's will has been shaken," the paper said. "However, attitude is not everything. Without solving the problem of THAAD, the pain it has brought to bilateral relations will not disappear, and South Korea must swallow some of the bitter results."

China should work with Russia on counter-measures to THAAD, the Global Times added.

Asked about the latest missile test, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying called for all parties to exercise restraint.

"The UN Security Council resolution has clear rules on (North Korea's) use of ballistic missiles technologies," she said. "All sides should work together to de-escalate tensions and take active steps to stabilize the region."

U.S. President Donald Trump has been pressing China aggressively to rein in North Korea, warning that all options, including a pre-emptive military strike, are on the table if Pyongyang persists with its nuclear and missile development.

Seoul, Tokyo and Washington were analysing the launches for further information, officials said.

Japan's navy and air force conducted military drills with two U.S. aircraft carriers in the Sea of Japan last week, following similar joint U.S.-South Korea exercises.

"North Korea likely wanted to show off its ability to precisely target a large warship, in relation to the joint military drills involving U.S. aircraft carriers," Roh Jae-cheon, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman, told a media briefing.

"By testing different types of missiles, North Korea also appears to be aiming to secure the upper hand in relations with South Korea and the United States."

The isolated country, which has conducted dozens of missile tests and tested two nuclear bombs since the beginning of 2016 in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions, says the programme is necessary to counter U.S. aggression.</s>North Korea test fired another missile, just one day after South Korea suspended the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system.

The early morning launch occurred Thursday from the coastal city of Wonsan.

“Multiple projectiles that appear to be short-range, land-to-ship cruise missiles” were fired and flew about 200 kilometers before landing in the Sea of Japan or East Sea as it is called in Korea, according to South Korea’s Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last month ordered his military to develop the missile capability to precisely target enemy vessels at sea, according to North Korean state media.

During the first week of June, two U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups, the USS Carl Vinson and the USS Ronald Reagan, conducted military exercises in international waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

The South Korean JCS said Thursday’s test was a direct response to the recent U.S. naval exercises.

“It was to show off the capability of various types of missiles and is an armed protest to show off its precise strike capability against enemy warships regarding the (recent) joint naval training of the U.S. carriers, or to secure an advantage in U.S. and North Korea or inter-Korean relations,” said JCS Chief of Public Affairs Roh Jae-Cheon.

The JCS also noted that North Korea’s test of low-altitude cruise missiles is not a violation of United Nations Security Council sanctions, which specifically prohibit high-altitude ballistic missile and nuclear weapons development.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga also said this cruise missile test did not warrant a response by the United Nations.

“The government has dealt with actions of North Korea based on responses of the international community, however, we don’t think this (North Korea’s missile launch this time) is something we need to protest against,” he said.

He also confirmed that the North Korean missiles did not reach his country’s exclusive economic zone that extends 370 kilometers from the coast.

Thursday’s launch is the fourth missile test by North Korea since South Korean President Moon Jae-in took office May 10, pledging to reduce tensions with Pyongyang through dialogue and engagement. His conservative predecessor, former President Park Geun-hye, was impeached for her alleged ties to a multi-million dollar corruption scandal.

President Moon convened his first meeting of the National Security Council Thursday where he ordered heightened military readiness to respond to any North Korean provocation.

“President Moon condemned (North Korea’s provocation by saying that) what North Korea will gain from this provocation is international isolation and economic difficulties and it will lose the opportunity for development,” said Park Soo-hyun, the spokesman of the presidential office after the NSC meeting.

The Moon administration Wednesday suspended the further development of THAAD until an environmental survey required by law has been completed. A presidential aide was reported to have said that the survey could take up to two years.

THAAD uses six mobile launchers and 48 interceptor missiles to target long-range ballistic missiles using high-resolution radar and infrared seeking technology. Two of the launchers were installed in March.

During the campaign, Moon called for a full review of the THAAD agreement before authorizing deployment.

U.S. President Donald Trump also raised concerns about the agreement when he demanded $1 billion for the American weapons system in April. Officials in both Washington and Seoul subsequently clarified the U.S. would bear the cost of THAAD system’s deployment and South Korea would provide the land and supporting facilities.

Washington considers the advanced anti-missile battery critical for defense against North Korea’s growing nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities.

However China adamantly opposes the THAAD regional deployment that could potentially give the U.S. the means to counter its missile capabilities as well.

And many residents living near the deployment site have raised concerns over the possible negative health effects of the system’s powerful radar, and over the increased danger of North Korea targeting their region if hostiles break out.

Last week, the South Korean Defense Ministry approved the delivery of four remaining launchers without informing the presidential office. The president suspended a deputy defense minster for his role in bypassing the executive oversight function. Kang Kyung-hwa, Moon’s Foreign Minister designate, also called for the National Assembly to debate this national security matter.

On Thursday, the Defense Ministry declined to comment on the status of THAAD because of an internal investigation under way.

In the National Assembly Thursday, conservative Rep. Lee Cheol-woo with the opposition Liberty Korea Party said delaying THAAD is “neglecting the country’s duty,” while fellow party member Rep. Chung Woo-taik accused the Moon government of undermining the U.S. alliance, “while taking no measures whatsoever against North Korea’s missile launches.”

The South Korean presidential spokesman also said Thursday that Moon will reaffirm South Korea’s strong commitment to the U.S. alliance when he meets with Trump in Washington later this month.</s>Seoul (CNN) South Korea's new government has suspended the deployment of a controversial US missile defense system that strained relations with China and angered North Korea.

An official told CNN Wednesday that while Seoul will not withdraw two launchers of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system that are already in action, four additional launchers will not be deployed until "a full-blown environmental impact assessment is completed."

During the recent election campaign, South Korean President Moon Jae-in called for the THAAD roll out to be halted and any decision about its future to be put before the country's parliament.

Deployment of THAAD was agreed by his predecessor -- disgraced President Park Geun-hye -- and Washington. The system was declared partially operational a week before Moon was elected.

At the time, analysts said this was an attempt to force Moon's hand and make it difficult for his government to withdraw the system from South Korea.

The THAAD roll-out has been vociferously opposed by China, which fears it could be used to spy on its own defense and nuclear deterrent systems.

THAAD was not due to be fully operational until the end of the year. The environmental assessment -- even if it ultimately permits deployment to continue -- will likely delay this to at least 2018.

While this means it cannot act against the type of intermediate-range missiles North Korea has been testing in recent months, THAAD also includes a sophisticated radar that will fit into an overlapping series of US missile defense systems, including Aegis warships operating in the Pacific and Patriot missile batteries deployed in Japan.

The radar could provide critical early tracking data to these missile interception systems, as well as those protecting Guam, the closest US territory to North Korea.</s>North Korea fired what appeared to be several land-to-ship missiles off its east coast on Thursday, South Korea's military said, the latest in a fast-paced series of missile tests defying world pressure to rein in its weapons programme.

SEOUL: North Korea fired what appeared to be several land-to-ship missiles off its east coast on Thursday, South Korea's military said, the latest in a fast-paced series of missile tests defying world pressure to rein in its weapons programme.

The launches come less than a week after the United Nations Security Council passed fresh sanctions on the reclusive state, which said it would continued to pursue its nuclear and missile programme without delay.

It also comes a day after South Korea said it will hold off on installing remaining components of a controversial U.S. anti-missile defense system that has angered North Korea's main ally, China.

The missiles were launched Thursday morning from the North Korean coastal city of Wonsan and flew about 200 km (124 miles), South Korea's Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

Under third-generation leader Kim Jong Un, North Korea has been conducting missile tests at an unprecedented pace in an effort to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of hitting the mainland United States.

Compared to the different types of ballistic missiles Pyongyang has recently tested, the missiles launched on Thursday are considered to be more defensive in nature, designed to defend against threats such as enemy warships.

North Korea unveiled a number of new weapons at a massive military parade on April 15 to mark the birth anniversary of the state's founding leader and has since tested some of them.

"Looking at North Korea’s pattern of missile launches, it has been revealing what it brought to the recent military parade," said Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at Kyungnam University’s Far Eastern Studies in Seoul. "What appeared to be a new type of land-to-ship missile equipped with four launching canisters was unveiled at the parade. I think this might be what was used today."

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has been briefed on the latest launch, the military said, declining to give further details.

Thursday's launch is the fourth missile test by North Korea since Moon took office on May 10 pledging to engage in dialogue with Pyongyang, saying sanctions and pressure alone have failed to resolve the growing threat from the North's advancing nuclear and missile programme.

Moon had also promised to review the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea. On Wednesday, his presidential office said installation of four additional launchers would be halted until an assessment of the system's impact on the environment was completed.

The introduction of the THAAD system, which includes a far-reaching radar that China worries could upset the regional security balance, has sparked protests in South Korea and a backlash in China against South Korean business interests.

There was no immediate reaction from China to the latest test.

Seoul and Washington were analysing the launches for further information, South Korean officials said.

Japan is on high alert and will analyse information in cooperation with the United States and South Korea, Kyodo news agency quoted Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida as saying.

Japan's navy and air force conducted military drills with two U.S. aircraft carriers in the Sea of Japan last week, following similar joint U.S.-South Korea exercises.

"North Korea likely wanted to show off its ability to precisely target a large warship, in relation to the joint military drills involving U.S. aircraft carriers," Roh Jae-cheon, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman told a media briefing. "By testing different types of missiles, North Korea also appears to be aiming to secure the upper hand in relations with South Korea and the United States."

In the three earlier launches, North Korea tested different kinds of ballistic missiles, two medium-to-long range missiles as well as a short-range Scud class weapon.

The isolated country, which has conducted dozens of missile tests and tested two nuclear bombs since the beginning of 2016 in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions, says the programme is necessary to counter U.S. aggression.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been pressing China aggressively to rein in North Korea, warning that all options, including a pre-emptive military strike, are on the table if Pyongyang persists with its nuclear and missile development.</s>A South Korean soldier walks past a TV broadcast of a news report on North Korea firing what appeared to be several land-to-ship missiles off its east coast, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, June 8, 2017. Pic: Reuters

NORTH KOREA fired what appeared to be several land-to-ship missiles off its east coast on Thursday, South Korea’s military said, a day after the South postponed full deployment of a controversial U.S. anti-missile system designed to deter a North Korean attack.

The launches, the latest in a fast-paced series of missile tests defying world pressure to rein in its weapons programme, come less than a week after the United Nations Security Council passed fresh sanctions on the reclusive state.

South Korea on Wednesday said it will hold off on installing remaining components of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system that has angered North Korea’s main ally, China, amid early signs of easing tensions between the two countries.

SEE ALSO: Japan holds evacuation rehearsals as North Korea insists on testing missiles

The missiles were launched Thursday morning from the North Korean coastal city of Wonsan and flew about 200 km (124 miles), South Korea’s Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

Under third-generation leader Kim Jong Un, North Korea has been conducting missile tests at an unprecedented pace in an effort to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of hitting the mainland United States.

Compared to the different types of ballistic missiles Pyongyang has recently tested, the missiles launched on Thursday are considered to be more defensive in nature, designed to defend against threats such as enemy warships.

North Korea unveiled a number of new weapons at a massive military parade on April 15 to mark the birth anniversary of the state’s founding leader and has since tested some of them.

“What appeared to be a new type of land-to-ship missile equipped with four launching canisters was unveiled at the parade,” said Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at Kyungnam University’s Far Eastern Studies in Seoul. “I think this might be what was used today.”

Thursday’s launch is the fourth missile test by North Korea since South Korean President Moon Jae-in took office on May 10 pledging to engage in dialogue with Pyongyang. Moon says sanctions and pressure alone have failed to resolve the growing threat from the North’s advancing nuclear and missile programme.

Moon had also promised to review the deployment of the THAAD system in South Korea, a decision that was made by the government of his conservative predecessor, Park Geun-hye. On Wednesday, Moon’s office said installation of four additional launchers would be halted until an assessment of the system’s impact on the environment was completed.

Two launchers of the full six-launcher THAAD battery, as well as the system’s far-reaching radar that China worries could upset the regional security balance, have already been installed at a deployment site in the southeastern city of Seongju. The elements will stay in place, South Korea said.

The introduction of the THAAD system has sparked protests in South Korea and a backlash in China against South Korean business interests.

SEE ALSO: UN Security Council expands North Korea sanctions after missile tests

The Global Times, published by China’s official People’s Daily, said in an editorial that no matter the outcome of the environmental study, South Korea’s announcement could reduce friction.

“Obviously, the pressure China puts on South Korea has taken effect. Seoul’s will has been shaken,” the paper said. “However, attitude is not everything. Without solving the problem of THAAD, the pain it has brought to bilateral relations will not disappear, and South Korea must swallow some of the bitter results.”

China should work with Russia on counter-measures to THAAD, the Global Times added.

There was no immediate official reaction from China to the latest missile test.

US President Donald Trump has been pressing China aggressively to rein in North Korea, warning that all options, including a pre-emptive military strike, are on the table if Pyongyang persists with its nuclear and missile development.

Seoul, Tokyo and Washington were analysing the launches for further information, officials said.

Japan’s navy and air force conducted military drills with two U.S. aircraft carriers in the Sea of Japan last week, following similar joint U.S.-South Korea exercises.

“North Korea likely wanted to show off its ability to precisely target a large warship, in relation to the joint military drills involving U.S. aircraft carriers,” Roh Jae-cheon, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman, told a media briefing.

“By testing different types of missiles, North Korea also appears to be aiming to secure the upper hand in relations with South Korea and the United States.”

SEE ALSO: South Korea: ‘Shocked’, President Moon orders probe into US THAAD additions

Compared to the different types of ballistic missiles Pyongyang has recently tested, the missiles launched on Thursday are considered to be more defensive in nature, designed to defend against threats such as enemy warships.

North Korea unveiled a number of new weapons at a massive military parade on April 15 to mark the birth anniversary of the state’s founding leader and has since tested some of them.

“What appeared to be a new type of land-to-ship missile equipped with four launching canisters was unveiled at the parade,” said Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at Kyungnam University’s Far Eastern Studies in Seoul. “I think this might be what was used today.”

The isolated country, which has conducted dozens of missile tests and tested two nuclear bombs since the beginning of 2016 in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions, says the programme is necessary to counter U.S. aggression. – Reuters</s>North Korea on Thursday morning fired what’s believed to be surface-to-ship missiles, South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said.

Kim Jong Un’s regime fired four anti-ship cruise missiles, according to a US defense official.

The official tells CNN that the Pentagon is not expected to release the typical statement about tracking the launches because these were not ballistic missile capable of posing a long-range threat.

North Korean state media has made no mention of the reported launches.

The South Korean military said the missiles flew about 124 miles (200 kilometers). The launches occurred near the port city of Wonsan on North Korea’s east coast.

This is the fourth missile test since South Korean President Moon Jae-in took office in May. The preceding test came at the end of May when North Korea fired what it claimed was a new type of ballistic missile. That projectile also was fired from Wosnan. Japanese and South Korean monitors said it flew 248 miles (400 kilometers) over the Sea of Japan, also know as the East Sea.

South Korea’s new government has suspended the deployment of a controversial US missile defense system that strained relations with China and angered North Korea.

Thursday’s launch is the first since the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed new sanctions last week.

The resolution slapped even more sanctions on North Korea and condemned the regime’s continued proliferation of its nuclear and ballistic program.

The sanctions extend a travel ban and asset freeze on high-level North Korean officials and state entities that deal with the program, according to the resolution.

China has called on Pyongyang to suspend its testing while calling on the US to stop military exercises on and near the Korean Peninsula, which North Korea sees as a threat to its sovereignty.</s>THE South Korean government on Wednesday moved to suspend the controversial deployment of a US missile intercept system in the country, putting Seoul on a potential collision course with Washington’s regional defence strategy.

The presidential office announced that the further rolling out of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system would be frozen until an environmental impact assessment is finished.

It follows a political outcry over allegations that the new liberal president, Moon Jae-in, who was elected only last month, was kept in the dark by defence officials about how much equipment had already been allowed into the country.

The US views the THAAD’s installation as vital to protect East Asia, and tens of thousands of stationed American troops, from the threat of missile attacks from North Korea.

But its planned deployment has not only infuriated Beijing, which fears the encroachment of THAAD’s powerful surveillance system on its territory, but it has bitterly divided South Korean public opinion.</s>The new president of South Korea put the brakes on an upcoming deployment there of four American missile defense systems, in what has emerged as a contentious domestic fight over how Seoul juggles its relations with China, North Korea, and the United States.

The administration of new president Moon Jae-in, a left-leaning politician who favors rapprochement with North Korea, suspended the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems (THAAD), in what appears to be a concession to Chinese objections to the deployment. The move is in direct defiance of the American policy to confront North Korea’s growing ballistic and mid-range missile programs.

Moon in some ways is inheriting a political headache from his disgraced predecessor, who greenlighted the deployment of the defense systems before being impeached and removed from office in early March, just as the first two THAAD systems were being installed on a golf course.

Moon, who campaigned on the promise of opening a new era of engagement with North Korea, complained that the THAAD deployment was rushed through, giving his government no chance to take part in the decision making process. Still, he agreed that the two systems that had already arrived would stay, but wanted to pause further deployments.

Moon has said that Seoul needs to “learn to say no” to Washington. But he has also acknowledged that he has to bring Washington along if he is to open talks with North Korea.

Moon and his new government reacted angrily when they discovered they had not been informed about the upcoming arrival of four more interceptors, and ordered an environmental assessment before they arrive.

“My order for a probe on THAAD is purely a domestic measure and I want to be clear that it is not about trying to change the existing decision or sending a message to the United States,” Moon told visiting U.S. Senator Dick Durbin in Seoul last week.

There is little indication that the new government is looking to significantly restructure relations with the United States, which is a major trading partner, maintains 23,000 troops in the country, and sells billions of dollars worth of advanced military technology to Seoul.

Still, the halt on the THAAD deployment can be seen as a new wrinkle in an old relationship, and a significant win for Beijing, which has strongly objected to the radar and missile interceptor system being deployed on the peninsula.

China is South Korea’s biggest trading partner, accounting for about a quarter of its exports, and has sought to make the THAAD deployment sting. Citing health and safety issues, China shut down 87 of 99 of South Korean conglomerate Lotte’s department stores in China in the days after THAAD arrived in South Korea, and stopped work on South Korean-funded theme park.

In order to ease tensions, just days after his election Moon sent an envoy to Beijing to meet with Chinese president Xi Jinping. Upon his return, China stopped blocking Lotte’s web site, and walked back some other economic pressures.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry reiterated Beijing’s opposition to the missile-defense system, which China fears could be used to neuter its own strategic missile forces.

“China’s stance of opposing the THAAD deployment by the U.S. in [South Korea] is clear, consistent and firm,” the spokesperson said.

Moon also recently sent his top national security advisor, Chung Eui-yong, to Washington to meet with U.S. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster to discuss the threat from North Korean missiles.
North Korea test fires several missiles, believed to be anti-ship weapons. The test comes immediately after South Korea suspends further deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system.