Speculation over THAAD resurfaces ahead of Carter's visit

South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo, left, and U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter

By Jun Ji-hye

Speculation over the United States’ possible deployment of its advanced missile defense system on the Korea Peninsula has resurfaced despite Seoul’s emphatic denials.

A senior official in charge of air and missile defense at Lockheed Martin, a manufacturer of the system, claimed that the two countries have already been in “formal and informal discussions” on the issue.

His remarks raised speculation that the possible deployment of the terminal high altitude area defense (THAAD) system on the peninsula might be a topic for the upcoming talks between of U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and his South Korean counterpart, Han Min-koo, scheduled for Monday.

Mike Trotsky, vice president of air and missile defense at the U.S. defense giant, said during a National Press Club news conference, Thursday, “The THAAD system is the subject of a policy discussion between the United States and the Republic of South Korea. Those policy discussions are ongoing now.”

He also said the discussions are at “a very beginning state,” adding, “As those discussions evolve, if there is an interest on the part of both countries to do something with THAAD, then of course Lockheed Martin will enthusiastically support it.”

Both the U.S. and South Korean governments denied the claim made by the Lockheed official, but the issue is still drawing keen attention ahead of the trip by Carter, a noted advocate for the U.S.-led missile defense (MD) system, to South Korea for the annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) with Defense Minister Han.

During his appearance in a National Assembly session, Friday, Han said, “As far as I know, no decision regarding THAAD has been made inside the U.S. government. There has been no request for any discussion, either.”

Han said that he did not know why the Lockheed official made such remarks.

Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok made it clear that the two governments are not consulting about the issue.

Kim added that it was not included on the agenda for the upcoming SCM, noting that the allies’ annual talks will focus on mounting nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, and trilateral military cooperation with Japan.

The Pentagon also said no formal consultations have taken place with Seoul about the possible deployment of THAAD to South Korea.

U.S. Defense Department spokesman Cmdr. Bill Urban said, “We have made no final decision regarding the deployment of a U.S. THAAD unit to the Republic of Korea, nor have we had any formal consultations with the ROK government on this issue.”

The THAAD system, which provides a defense against short- to medium-range ballistic missiles, is widely regarded as the core of the U.S. MD system.

Whether to deploy the system here or not has been a thorny issue for Seoul as it is forcing the nation to walk a tightrope between its military ally Washington and No. 1 trading partner Beijing.

Washington hopes to bring its advanced missile interceptor into South Korea to better deal with missile threats from North Korea.

China meanwhile has been pressing South Korea to block the U.S. move, alleging that it could be used to nullify China's military strike capabilities. Russia has also expressed opposition to the deployment.

Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye