Writer calls for public debate over THAAD

Fiction writer Kim Jin-myung / Courtesy of Saeum Books

By Kang Hyun-kyung

Earlier this year, Kim Jin-myung, 56, suddenly stopped writing the sixth novel of his best-selling historical fiction series “Goguryeo” to start another urgent project.

His new book was about the U.S. missile system, dubbed the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD), a hotly debated issue which has put Korea and the United States at odds over whether it should be deployed on the Korean Peninsula or not.

It took three months for Kim, who describes himself as an avid watcher of foreign policy, especially the U.S.-China rivalry regarding the Korean Peninsula, to complete his new novel “THAAD.”

“I thought the general public must know exactly what THAAD is about and what kind of price South Korea will pay if it rejects the U.S. call,” he told The Korea Times during an interview at the Saeum Books publishing company in Seoul last Monday.

“I won’t take any particular side because I believe both proponents and opponents of the anti-ballistic missile system are reasonable. That’s why I finished my book open ended regarding the question as to whether South Korea should accept the U.S. call to deploy THAAD or not. I want my readers to come to their own conclusions.”

Kim argues that THAAD is a critical issue that will significantly affect the fate of the nation and thus the decision should not be left in the hands of a handful of people in military elite.

He says military officials tend to focus only on the security benefits, while neglecting the negative fallout on the economy.

Their single-minded focus on defense could cost South Korea its relations with other key partners, he warns.

So, the writer claims, the nation needs a public, open debate in which people from all walks of life are invited to address their concerns with regard to THAAD and then make a decision based on a public consensus.

“Such a lengthy, painstaking process is needed because no matter what decision South Korea will make regarding THAAD, it will inevitably deal a blow to the country in its bilateral relations with either its No. 1 trading partner or its closest ally,” Kim says.

He says South Korea faces a dilemma.

If it accepts the U.S. calls to deploy the anti-ballistic missile system here, he predicts, this will cost the country its No. 1 trading partner. China remains suspicious of the U.S. motive to deploy THAAD on the Korean Peninsula because it will nullify its ballistic missile system.

The country reportedly believes that the United States seeks to encircle it.

If South Korea rejects the U.S. calls, Kim claims, it will not only lose its closest ally but also may face a catastrophic circumstance — a war on the peninsula.

US-China rivalry

The writer interprets the deployment of THAAD as part of the U.S. long-term strategy for a war with China.

Asked if there was any pressure he felt while working on such a highly sensitive topic, Kim says the only pressure he had was his readers’ reaction to the point he made.

“What is your position on THAAD? Should it be deployed here or not? I am afraid my readers would ask me such questions,” he says.

Since Kim’s book THAAD was released in August, it has sold more than 100,000 copies so far.

Kim rose to stardom in 1994 when his blockbuster book, “The Rose of Sharon Blooms Again,” has sold more than 4.5 million copies. The book described the suspicious death of a Korean American nuclear scientist linked to a U.S. conspiracy to prevent proliferation on the Korean Peninsula.

His follow-up works also sold well. The historical fiction series Goguryeo, for example, has sold approximately 1.2 million copies.

Kim argues media coverage of the U.S. anti-ballistic missile system is insufficient and says that the general public is not fully informed of THAAD.

South Korea has balked in the face of mounting pressure from the United States to deploy the anti-ballistic missile system.

The U.S. government has pushed for it to counter North Korean nuclear and missile threats and reportedly to thwart possible threats from China.

South Korea’s position on THAAD has been consistent, but unclear.

It says THAAD will definitely help the nation better defend its territory from possible North Korean attacks.

Despite this, the government says Seoul has yet to discuss the matter with Washington.