TOKYO, March 16. /TASS/. A South Korean opposition lawmaker said on Thursday his country should not be in a hurry to deploy an advanced U.S. missile defense system until it wins consent from Russia and China, Yonhap reported.

Woo Sang-ho, the leader of the Democratic Party Toburo facion, said before deploying the THAAD missile defense system South Korea should make sure this move would not undermine relations with the neighboring countries. ""I am not opposed to the deployment fundamentally, but saying that we must be cautious as the issue is very contentious," Yonhap quoted him as saying. "China is carrying out excessive economic retaliations. We urge Beijing to end such retaliations, which may deteriorate the Seoul-Beijing relationship."

On March 7, the US Pacific Command announced that the United States had started to deploy the THAAD missile systems to South Korea. The first systems have been delivered to the Osan air base located near the city of Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers from the country’s capital of Seoul.

A THAAD battery consists of six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors, a mobile control and communications center and an AN/TPY-2 radar. The systems are expected to be put into operation within a month or two.