Seoul will temporarily deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system in South Korea in response to North Korea’s second ICBM test on Friday, the Ministry of National Defence (MND) said on Monday.

The move comes despite the government’s longstanding claim that an environmental assessment of the launch site in Seongju County would be needed before the U.S.-made battery could be fully deployed.

“We’ve decided on the temporary deployment to strengthen the ability to intercept in response to the North’s provocations and advanced nuclear and missile threats,” MND spokesperson Moon said on Monday.

“Conducting the full-scale environmental