South Korea does not aim to change its agreement with the United States on the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system and it will continue to work closely with Washington on it, the South's top national security adviser said on Friday.
A decision to postpone the full deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system pending a review of its environment impact was a domestic measure to ensure a democratic process, Chung Eui-yong told a news briefing.
U.S. ally South Korea said on Wednesday it would hold off on installing remaining elements of the THAAD system, which China strongly objects to, until the environmental study was completed.
During his successful campaign for a May election, South Korean President Moon Jae-in promised to review the THAAD deployment decision, made by the government of his conservative predecessor, Park Geun-hye.
China says the system's powerful radar can penetrate deep into its territory, undermining its stability and unsettling the regional balance. China also says the system does nothing to deter North Korea.
Two launchers of the full six-launcher THAAD battery, as well as its radar, have been installed at a site on what used to be a golf course near the southeastern city of Seongju.
On Wednesday, Moon's office said the installation of four additional launchers would be halted during the environmental assessment, which may take well over a year, according to a senior administration official.
US Under Secretary of State Thomas Shannon will visit Seoul next week to discuss the summit agenda, the foreign ministry said on Friday. No date has been set.
It tested a new type of land-to-sea missile off its east coast on Thursday.
(Reporting by Christine Kim and Soyoung Kim; Editing by Robert Birsel)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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