SEOUL, South Korea _ South Korea said a U.S. missile defense system being installed on its soil has been partly deployed and should be operational by the end of the year, as tensions mount over North Korea's nuclear program.
The defense ministry gave the update on the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, known as Thaad, in a text message on Wednesday.
The deployment of Thaad has angered China, which is concerned that it could be used to spy on its own facilities. China responded to the moves to install the system by restricting tour packages to South Korea and operations of retailer Lotte Group.
The system, made by Lockheed Martin Corp., is designed to destroy short- and medium-ranged ballistic missiles at high altitudes in their "terminal" phase, as they descend. North Korea carried out its largest-ever firing drill on Tuesday to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the founding of the country's military, its official Korean Central News Agency said.
