Minister of defense: missile defense system should only be concerned of the DPRK

There is only one reason why the United States will deploy a missile defense system in South Korea, Secretary of defense James Mattis said Thursday when he arrived in the country on his first trip abroad as head of the Pentagon.

"THAAD is designed to protect people, our allies, our troops, and if not for the provocative behavior of North Korea we would have no need for THAAD," Mattis said. After arrival at the air base "Osan" outside Seoul, he said, "there is No other nation that should be concerned about THAAD, in addition to North Korea." Planned deployment of THAAD in South Korea has drawn criticism from China, which considers it as part of a broader U.S. strategy to expand its military network Alliance from Japan down to the South China sea.

Some analysts expect the testing of missiles North Korea will resume in the near future. "They have a great tradition of welcoming each new US President a small amount of fireworks, sometimes nuclear tests, sometimes launching ICBMs and they are not going to break this tradition," said Professor Andrei Lankov of Kookmin University in Seoul.

John Delury, Professor at Yonsei University in Seoul, says that Kim kept relatively quiet because of the presidential uncertainties in Seoul. After Kim said in a televised address that his troops are on the verge of testing its first Intercontinental ballistic missiles - missiles that can be equipped with nuclear weapons and powerful enough to reach any part of the United States - trump promised on Twitter, "This will not happen."

Then President-elect said, as it blocks the missile ambitions of Kim. But during the election campaign last year, trump said he may be ready to meet with North Korean leader to discuss the issue.

sections: Politics, World News, Accidents