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      US to Deploy Missile Defense System to Guam Due to N. Korean Threats

   by VOA News

   U.S. military officials say Washington is preparing to deploy an
   advanced missile defense system to the Pacific in the coming weeks, as
   a precautionary move to protect against North Korea's ballistic missile
   threat.
   A Pentagon spokeswoman said Wednesday that the system will be based in
   the U.S. territory of Guam, roughly 3,000 kilometers from the Korean
   peninsula.  It is not clear when it will be operational.
   Before the announcement, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a
   speech in Washington that North Korea's recent rhetoric and actions
   represent what he called, a "real and clear danger" to the United
   States and its Asian allies.
   Earlier Wednesday, North Korea began blocking entry of South Korean
   workers into a joint industrial zone just north of the border,
   jeopardizing the last remaining sign of cooperation between the two
   foes.
   Pyongyang announced it was suspending South Korean access to the
   Kaesong industrial complex, but said it would allow the hundreds of
   South Korean workers at the facility to leave.
   South Korea says it was not told how long the entry ban will last, but
   warns that, if it is prolonged, South Korean workers could run out of
   supplies and food. Unification Ministry spokesperson Kim Hyung-Seok
   says the safety of its workers is Seoul's top priority.
   "North Korea's measure to suspend the industrial zone is an obstacle to
   the stable management of the zone," said  Hyung-Seok. "We urge the
   North to immediately normalize the access to the Kaesong industrial
   zone."
   Seoul's defense ministry says military action is a last-resort option
   if the safety of the workers is threatened.
   It is not the first time Pyongyang has blocked South Koreans from
   entering or exiting the complex, which opened in 2004 and is a valuable
   source of revenue for the impoverished North. But this appears to be
   the most serious threat yet to the center.
   South Koreans who work in Kaesong are expressing concern about their
   safety. Clothing factory manager Lee Eun-Haeng says closing the center
   would also affect his livelihood.
   "It will cause a problem to inter-Korean relations, but it will also
   risk my business," said  Eun-Haeng. "I'm very worried as things are
   headed toward the worst."
   China, North Korea's closest ally, on Wednesday expressed its "serious
   concerns" about the situation on the Korean peninsula. Foreign ministry
   spokesperson Hong Lei said it is the responsibility of all parties
   involved to work for peace.
   "Peace and stability on the peninsula is the shared responsibility of
   them all," said Lei. "China believes all parties should exercise calm
   and restraint and should not take actions that deteriorate the
   situation.  We hope all parties will look at the long-term, engage in
   dialogue and stay committed to lasting peace and stability."
   North Korea is angry about tough U.N. sanctions passed in response to
   its third nuclear test in February and its latest satellite launch. It
   has threatened to wage war on the South and carry out a nuclear attack
   on the U.S. mainland, among other threats.
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   o-guam-due-to-north-korean-threats/1634207.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/us-to-deploy-missile-defense-system-to-guam-due-to-north-korean-threats/1634207.html