South Korea's defense ministry confirmed on Tuesday night that some elements of the American Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system were moved to a site in the country's southern region.
"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 ministry said in a statement quoted by Reuters, adding the system should be operational by the end of the year.