'Korea may have to share THAAD cost'
By Choi Ha-young
Rep. Shim Jae-kwon
Korea may have to shoulder a bigger financial burden than expected to deploy and operate a United States-made anti-ballistic missile system on its soil, opposition lawmakers said.
Since the country decided to install the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, doubts on transport expenses and the costs to install it here have not faded away.
Originally, Defense Minister Han Min-koo said Korea would bear no additional cost except for providing the site. However, some opposition lawmakers have pointed out that the U.S. has not allocated a budget for it. Regarding this, Rep. Shim Jae-kwon of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and chairman of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee presented three possible scenarios.
“First, the U.S. may not be fully prepared to deploy it on time for practical reasons,” Shim said in an interview with The Korea Times, Feb. 22. “Secondly, it may demand Korea share the expense unlike the previous agreement. Last, it may use money deposited in the Community Bank.”
The Community Bank is a Department of Defense-owned bank in charge of managing the cost of U.S. forces stationed overseas, including U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).
Although U.S. President Donald Trump proposed to increase defense and security spending by 10 percent from last year, $54 billion, Korea cannot be sure that the U.S. Congress will assign the necessary budget for the THAAD deployment in Korea. Trump has long claimed that its allies should pay more for U.S. defense support, Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo of the DPK said.
“If Washington and Seoul don’t clarify that the THAAD deployment has nothing to do with cost-sharing for the USFK between the two countries, Korea may have to pay for the deployment and even that for Patriot missile batteries to protect THAAD,” Hong told The Korea Times. “The Park Geun-hye administration is being irresponsible, unloading a burden onto the next government.”
The DPK, which is likely to replace the conservative Park administration, and its leading presidential contender Moon Jae-in have claimed that the next government should reconsider the THAAD deal considering diplomatic conflicts with China. Beijing has already launched retaliatory acts against the business sector.
Shim reaffirmed this, saying the system is dedicated to a U.S.-led global strategy. “The U.S. has demanded Korea accept the deployment to complete its missile defense system. However, ex-presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun turned down the request because Korea couldn’t afford to operate it,” said Shim, a former aide to Kim.
Shim claimed that Seoul can overturn Park’s diplomatic legacies without undermining its international credibility. “In diplomacy, reversal of agreements is commonplace, like Trump withdrew the country from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. I think the controversial agreement over THAAD should undergo ratification by the Assembly.”
The three-term lawmaker pointed out that Park’s misjudgment on North Korea’s collapse complicated the diplomatic environment around the Korean Peninsula. “Because of deteriorated inter-Korean relationship, the THAAD issue has emerged.”
During Park’s term, the Assembly has been isolated in diplomatic decision-making processes, Shim said. “I did not hear about the deal on THAAD and comfort women before the government’s official announcements, even though I’m the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. The next government should have vibrant communication with the Assembly.”