United States deployment of anti-missile system in South Korea angers China

South Korea’s military said on Tuesday the projectiles were an improved version of Scud missiles previously fired by North Korea. “It will take a while before we come up with a final analysis (based on USA satellite data)”, the JCS said.

The missiles traveled about 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) and three of them landed in waters close to Japan that are part of its exclusive economic zone.

The launch was an apparent reaction to huge military drills by the US and South Korea that the North insists are an invasion rehearsal.

As usual, this angered Pyongyang and triggered the test firing of four ballistic missiles Monday.

It could be an ICBM capable of reaching the USA mainland, an official at the defence ministry said.

According to a statement from the White House, Trump emphasized the pledge of defense between the United States and Japan, as well as the United States and South Korea.

“With the strong USA military commitment in the background, we want to deter North Korea and strongly demand that the country refrain from conducting further provocative acts and obey the (U.N.) Security Council resolutions”, Abe was quoted as saying to Trump.

In response to a series of recent provocations by North Korea, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and South Korean National Defense Minister Han Min Koo had agreed to conduct the largest-ever drills this year.

He also said South Korea is making a mistake in deploying the United States anti-missile defence system THAAD, which he said undermined China’s security. Not just Pyongyang opposes the joint project by the USA and South Korea, but also Bejing.

Seoul and Washington began annual joint military exercises last week that always infuriate Pyongyang, with the North’s military warning of “merciless nuclear counter-action”.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg last month urged North Korea “not to raise tensions further and to re-engage in a credible and meaningful dialogue with the worldwide community”. “North Korea is practicing nuking those forces”.

Officials in Seoul said that launch was aimed at “testing the response from the new USA administration” of President Donald Trump, who took office on January 20. Also, the USA and South Korea indicated they will not cancel the military exercises that routinely anger North Korea.

China objects to the THAAD deployment, saying its territory is the target of the system’s far-reaching radar.

North Korea has already denounced this year’s exercises through state media service KCNA.