US moves THAAD missile defence to South Korea as Kim Jong-un threatens NUCLEAR WAR

South Korea’s defence ministry confirmed some elements of the THAAD system had arrived at a site in the south of the country, on a plot of land formally used as a golf course.

Television footage showed military trailers carrying elements of the system to the site.

Designed to shoot down missiles at a high altitude from North Korea or elsewhere, the THAAD system is made up of six truck-mounted launchers carrying around 50 interceptor missiles, as well as a fire control and communications unit, which are linked to the very long-range X-band radar system.

In a statement, the ministry said: “South Korea and the United States have been working to secure an early operational capability of the THAAD system in response to North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile threat.”

The deployment was met by opposition from locals as hundreds of residents clashed with police, protesting against the controversial defence system.

Kang Hyun-wook, a religious figure staging a street rally, told Yonhap News Agency: “Police let THAAD equipment pass through [the protests] by repressing them.

“The THAAD deployment is illegal and should be nullified.”

Meanwhile, a spokesman for South Korean president frontrunner Moon Jae-in said the move to deploy the THAAD system was “very inappropriate”.

In a statement, Moon’s spokesman said the deployment stripped South Korea’s next government of the right to make a policy decision on the controversial system.

Chinese officials are likely to be angered by the move, having opposed the deployment of THAAD to South Korea since it was agreed between Seoul and Washington last year.

Tensions between North Korea and the international community have increased significantly in recent weeks, with Pyongyang claiming leader Kim Jong-un had overseen the country’s “largest-ever” live-fire drill to mark the 85th founding anniversary of its military.

KCNA, the state-controlled media service, reported: “The brave artillerymen mercilessly and satisfactorily hit the targets and the gunshots were very correct, he said, adding that they showed well the volley of gunfire of our a-match-for-a-hundred artillery force giving merciless punishment to the hostile forces.”

President Trump is due to address the House of Representatives on Wednesday evening in a bid to negotiate a satisfactory method of dealing with the threat from North Korea.

Whether the deployment of THAAD will have a big impact on ties between Washington and Beijing is yet to be seen.