South Korea and the United States exchanged information on key features of the THAAD missile defense system, but there were no discussions on deploying the system to South Korea, Seoul's ambassador to Washington said Saturday.

"I am aware that there were consultations on the weapons system itself," Amb. Ahn Ho-young said in response to questions from lawmakers during a parliamentary audit of the embassy. "But there were no discussions at all about deploying a THAAD battery to the Korean Peninsula."

South Korea only obtained information on THAAD as an important weapons system, he said.

The possibility of the U.S. deploying a THAAD battery in South Korea has been a focus of attention in Seoul because such a deployment is seen by critics as part of a broader U.S. attempt to get the Asian ally to join its missile defense system. 

The deployment could inflame tensions with China and Russia because they see the move as a threat to their security interests.

The two countries have expressed concern and opposition at such possibility.

The issue came to the fore after Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work said early this month that the U.S. is considering sending THAAD to South Korea and is working with the Asian ally to determine if such a deployment is the right thing to do.

That contrasted with what South Korean officials had insisted up until then that the U.S. neither officially asked to deploy THAAD to South Korea nor did the two sides hold any discussions on the issue.

Still, Seoul's defense ministry insisted that there were no official discussions. The Pentagon later backed down and said the two sides held no formal talks on the matter.

Earlier this week, Seoul's Defense Minister Han Min-koo said he believes a THAAD deployment would contribute to South Korea's security and defense. 

On Saturday, Amb. Ahn said he believes Han's remark means THAAD is an effective weapons system.

Asked whether the U.S. has made any decision on deploying THAAD to South Korea, Ahn said the U.S. is developing THAAD as a meaningful weapons system, but he believes there has been no decision on where to deploy the system.(Yonhap)