Writer foretells THAAD deployment in novel 2 years ago
.jpg?w=728)
Fiction writer Kim Jin-myung / Korea Times File
By Jun Ji-hye
In a book published in August 2014, fiction writer Kim Jin-myung wrote that the United States would ask South Korea to allow American armed forces to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) unit on Korean soil in order to hold China in check.
He also forecast that Washington will cite growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea as an ostensible reason for the deployment.
Obviously, his imagination has become reality as Seoul and Washington officially announced their decision on July 8 to deploy a THAAD unit on Korean soil next year to defend the country from the North’s evolving threats.
At the time of publication, his book, “THAAD,” started a lot of talk and rapidly became one of the bestsellers in major bookstores.
The novel is recently regaining popularity since the government’s announcement of deployment of the U.S. advanced anti-missile defense system.
But the writer expressed concerns over unpredictable changes that the deployment would bring to the Korean Peninsula, instead of being delighted at his book’s return to popularity.
“The deployment of THAAD is not the end of the problems facing us,” Kim told reporters. “It is just a beginning, and we will have to make a number of difficult decisions because of it.”
He cited the worst case scenario in which the United States and China get to the stage of military conflict.
“In that case, Washington would possibly ask Seoul to stand by the U.S., while China would call for Seoul to express a clear position between Washington and Beijing,” he said. “This will be an even more difficult decision than the one involving the deployment of the THAAD battery.”
The writer said that soldiers have been mainly involved in the decision-making process for the deployment of THAAD, and opinions from economists tended to be excluded, although it is not just a simple weapons system but an issue that exerts great influence on the nation’s economy and foreign affairs.
“It is regrettable that economic ties with China in the future were not taken into consideration,” he said.
The comment apparently referred to a view from some critics that China, South Korea’s No. 1 trade partner, would take action in trade retaliation against the deployment of THAAD, given that Beijing has repeatedly expressed opposition to the missile defense system, apparently out of concern that the weapon’s AN/TPY-2 radar could spy on China’s military activities and missile capabilities.
But the writer stressed that the public should now side with the government as the decision has been made anyway.
“We cannot say that it would have been right to refuse a request from the U.S., either, as Washington is our military ally,” he said. “The best option for now is that the government should clearly say to the world that it will get rid of the THAAD battery once North Korea’s nuclear threats disappear.”