By Yi Whan-woo
National Security Office (NSO) chief Chung Eui-yong hinted Friday at carrying out a “full-scale” assessment on the environmental impact of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery deployed here.
He said it will take longer than expected to complete installation of the anti-missile shield should a thorough study be conducted.
His remark after arriving in Washington D.C. adds to the dispute over transparency in the decision-making process of the THAAD deployment, as well as concerns over possible diplomatic friction between South Korea and the United States.
As President Moon Jae-in’s top security adviser, Chung is discuss pending issues concerning THAAD during his U.S. trip.
THAAD is possibly included in the agenda of a summit this month between Moon and President Donald Trump, which Chung is also coordinate with relevant U.S. officials.
“I believe it will take longer than we initially expected if we conduct a full-scale study on the environmental impact of THAAD,” he said.
The plan comes in line with Moon’s order for a thorough inspection into the unreported arrival of four additional THAAD launchers recently. They are key components for the battery, including two other launchers that were already installed in March to meet “initial operational capability.”
The Ministry of Defense is suspected of deliberately failing to report the arrival of the four launchers to skip a full-scale environmental study, which could take up to 12 months.
The defense ministry sought to conduct a small-scale, condensed assessment in consultation with the Ministry of Environment. This was expected to take about six months.
Chung lashed out at the defense ministry. “It was a serious mistake to fail to report such a sensitive issue regardless of whether it was intentional or not. It must be corrected and should never be repeated again,” he said.
Cheong Wa Dae has been expanding its investigation into the launchers arrival.
It questioned working-level officials at both the environment and defense ministries on Thursday and Friday, in addition to former NSO chief Kim Kwan Kim and Defense Minister Han Min-koo earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Chung denied a media report that U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) hinted at pulling out the THAAD battery and spending the related budget on something else during a meeting with Moon in Seoul this week.
“That’s not what the senator said,” Chung said. “The senator asked about President Moon’s thoughts if there were objections within South Korea about THAAD expenses because there was a congressional discussion about the budget.”
Chung explained that Durbin was “on the same page” about following legal procedures in carrying out the environmental assessment of THAAD.
“He told us that he will respect decisions made by Korean citizens through the National Assembly,” Chung said.
He explained about the controversy surrounding the THAAD launchers during a meeting with U.S. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster at the White House later Friday.
McMaster appreciated Chung for clarifying Seoul’s view, according to diplomatic sources.
He said the U.S. will welcome Moon Jae-in with “maximum respect and a full program” of events when he visits Washington for the upcoming summit.