Trump’s remarks were reported after key elements of THAAD, the high-profile X-band radar and mobile launchers, were delivered to the host site in the southern Seongju county on Wednesday as the deployment gathered pace. (Image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 28 (Korea Bizwire) – U.S. President Donald Trump said he wants South Korea to pay for the US$1 billion deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, a missile defense system the allies are currently fielding here, he said in an interview with Reuters reported on Friday.
Trump also said he will “renegotiate or terminate” the U.S. free trade agreement with South Korea.
Trump’s remarks were reported after key elements of THAAD, the high-profile X-band radar and mobile launchers, were delivered to the host site in the southern Seongju county on Wednesday as the deployment gathered pace.
The deployment is a major topic of discussion for the ongoing presidential race here, with front-runner Moon Jae-in pledging to review the installation if he wins the presidency.
“I informed South Korea it would be appropriate if they paid. It’s a billion-dollar system,” Reuters quoted Trump as saying.
According to the interview, Trump questioned why the U.S. was paying for the THAAD system to defend against a potential missile attack from North Korea.
Trump also called the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement “horrible.”
“It is unacceptable, it is a horrible deal made by Hillary,” Trump said, putting the blame on his former presidential rival Hillary Clinton.
“It’s a horrible deal, and we are going to renegotiate that deal or terminate it.”
(Yonhap)
