Seoul says no plan to buy U.S. missile-defense system

South Korea reaffirmed Monday its long-held stance of not purchasing an advanced missile-defense battery from the United States amid growing calls from its ruling party lawmakers to introduce it to better guard against North Korea's missiles.

The U.S. has hinted at the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery on Korean soil, home to about 28,500 American troops, to better cope with the growing threats of Pyongyang's nuclear and missile capabilities.

"The defense ministry has no plan to purchase a THAAD system," ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok told a regular briefing. "Basically, the system would do good to better defend the country from missiles from North Korea, but we will make a judgment by putting the national interest as our top priority."

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