PYEONGTAEK, South Korea (Reuters) — U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters on Thursday (April 27) that Seoul should pay for a U.S. anti-missile system that he priced at $1 billion.
In an interview with Reuters, Trump said the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system now being deployed in South Korea to defend against a potential missile attack from North Korea would cost about $1 billion and questioned why the United States was paying for it.
“I informed South Korea it would be appropriate if they paid. It’s a billion dollar system,” Trump said. “It’s phenomenal, shoots missiles right out of the sky.”
Lockheed Martin Corp is the prime contractor for the THAAD system.
Asked about the remarks, a former U.S. State Department official estimated the cost of the system at about $1.2 billion but said the United States would not want to sell THAAD to Seoul.