Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at the finance desk of The Korea Times, focuses primarily on economic policy and government agencies, mainly covering the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the National Tax Service and the Korea Customs Service. She previously covered financial authorities, including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, and earlier worked on the political, city and business desks, reporting on a wide range of issues.
US to ask Seoul for official discussion on THAAD
By Jun Ji-hye
The United States will soon ask South Korea to have an official discussion on the deployment of the THAAD missile system on the Korean Peninsula, government sources said, Thursday.
“It has become a fait accompli that the United States will make an official request for the THAAD deployment here,” a source said. “It is just a matter of time.”
THAAD, or the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, is widely regarded as the core of the U.S. ballistic missile defense system.
The official noted that the U.S. will attempt to explore Seoul’s intent before it makes a final decision on the deployment.
The official, asking not to be named, indicated that the two governments had already embarked on preparations and consultations before the official discussion.
The Ministry of National Defense reaffirmed its stance over the issue.
“If the U.S. asks for an official discussion, the government will look into whether THAAD will be helpful in boosting our effectiveness in military aspects and national security,” ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said. “Then, we will make a decision independently.”
U.S. Ambassador to Korea Mark Lippert noted in a MBC radio interview Thursday that several issues related to THAAD needed to be discussed first from within the U.S., backing Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s position.
Seoul has been reluctant to speak openly about the issue, apparently wary of negative publicity and protest from neighboring countries such as China.
High-ranking military officials from the Pentagon have raised the need for THAAD deployment on the peninsula, citing the growing missile and nuclear threats from North Korea.
Frank Rose, U.S. assistant secretary of state for arms control, verification and compliance, said at the end of last month Washington was considering a permanent stationing of a THAAD unit in South Korea.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also said during his visit to South Korea last month that recent provocations by North Korea were “why we are talking about THAAD.”
Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se made clear that the THAAD issue was not included on the agenda for the delayed Seoul-Washington summit. But opposition lawmakers claimed that Washington deliberately promoted the need for the deployment before President Park Geun-hye’s visit to the U.S. The summit, originally scheduled for Tuesday, was canceled as Park delayed her planned trip Wednesday amid lingering public fears about Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) here.
Deployment of the system is a thorny issue for Seoul as it needs to walk a tightrope between its military ally Washington and No. 1 trading partner Beijing.
China has been pressing Seoul to reject the THAAD deployment, saying it could be used to nullify Beijing’s military strike capabilities. Russia has also expressed opposition to the deployment.
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