By Yi Whan-woo
The United States is apparently increasing pressure on South Korea to accelerate the ongoing talks on deploying a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here.
The allies are offering different stories about whether their defense ministers will discuss the missile system during a meeting in Singapore today.
On Friday, South Korea’s defense ministry denied U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter’s claim a day earlier that he will discuss the THAAD issue when he meets Defense Minister Han Min-koo on the sidelines of the 15th Asia Security Summit in Singapore.
“There is no plan for discussions between the two defense ministers in Singapore,” a ministry spokesman said.
“Related discussions on THAAD have been underway between working-level officials of Seoul and Washington and they’ll make their conclusions public when their discussions are over.”
“The two governments will consider these before finalizing whether to have a THAAD system on South Korean soil, and the two sides are fully aware of this procedure,” the spokesman said.
Carter reportedly said Thursday that the THAAD issue will be included among topics during his talks with the South Korean minister.
Another senior U.S. defense official was even quoted by U.S. media as saying that the two countries will have a “public announcement” soon about the deployment of a THAAD unit.
Analysts speculated that South Korea and the U.S. are at odds over talks between their defense ministers because the two allies have different security concerns on China’s role on the Korean Peninsula.
“For South Korea, China’s leverage over North Korea is critical to implement the U.N. Security Council’s (UNSC) latest sanctions on Pyongyang, and Seoul is being careful not to provoke Beijing,” said Yang Uk, a senior research fellow at the Korea Defense and Security Forum
Kim Dae-young, also a researcher at the forum, agreed saying, “Seoul is trying to buy time on THAAD-related issues because China is reacting sensitively about the advanced U.S. missile shield.”
“Washington, on the other hand, appears to be bringing up THAAD card in line with its containment policy targeting China and also to press Beijing to comply with the UNSC sanctions on Pyongyang,” he said.
The meeting between the defense ministers comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping met Ri Su-yong, a vice chairman of the North Korea’s Workers’ Party who visited Beijing as leader Kim Jong-un’s special envoy.
The meeting fueled speculation about a thaw in soured ties between the two Cold War allies and that China may hamper U.S.-led international efforts to deter North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
China has cited that THAAD’s X-Band radar, a key component of the system, has a range of 2,000 kilometers and can be used to spy on Beijing’s military activities instead of exclusively detecting and shooting down North Korean missiles.
South Korea and the U.S. formed a working-level group to discuss whether to set up a THAAD battery.
The two allies formed the group in response to North Korea’s launch of a rocket, which was suspected to be a ballistic missile, Feb. 7. Pyongyang earlier carried out its fourth nuclear test.
With North Korea’s advances in ballistic missile technology, deployment of THAAD is seen as necessary to supplement current missile defense systems in South Korea.
Meanwhile, Han will deliver a speech today at the security summit, organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Under the theme, “Making Defense Policy in Uncertain Times,” he is expected to talk about South Korea’s role in bolstering international efforts to implement sanctions under the UNSC Resolution 2270 imposed on North Korea.
On the sidelines of the event, Han will hold one-on-one meetings with other defense ministers, including Gen Nakatani of Japan.
Han, Cater and Nakatani are also scheduled to hold joint talks.
The South Korean defense chief will also meet Adm. Sun Jianguo, the deputy chief of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who will represent the Chinese delegation, as well as U.S. Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Committee on the Armed Services.