South Korea has expressed concerns about worsening of its ties with China over a plan to install an advanced US missile defense system. The South Korean Government on Tuesday announced that it formally acquired a golf course in the country's south from the Lotte Group as a site to deploy the system. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is to be installed this year to boost defense against North Korean nuclear and missile threats. China objects to the plan, saying the system's advanced radar could be used to monitor the country's military. The South's foreign ministry spokesperson Cho June-hyuck said today that the THAAD installation is aimed at protecting the lives of the country's people.<br/><br/>