THAAD to test Moon's diplomatic finesse

By Jun Ji-hye

President Moo Jae-in faces a tough diplomatic challenge involving the controversial deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea.

Experts say the THAAD issue is one of the urgent matters that the new administration needs to resolve, given that the issue has become complicated due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s abrupt call on Seoul to pay $1 billion for the deployment as well as China’s economic sanctions against Seoul in retaliation.

Domestically, arguments both for and against the deployment are ongoing as well, with residents living in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province — the site of the advanced missile defense system — still protesting against it.

Throughout his campaign, Moon showed a firm position calling on the THAAD issue to be discussed again by the new government. He said the new leader should be allowed to use the issue as a diplomatic card in dealing with relations with the U.S. and China as well as North Korea.

Criticizing the former President Park Geun-hye’s rush to agree to the installation, Moon vowed to seek the National Assembly’s approval.

After being sworn in, Moon continued to adhere to this, saying “I will enter into earnest negotiations with the U.S. and China to resolve the THAAD issue” during his inaugural address, Wednesday.

Later in the day, Moon had a phone conversation with Trump during which the latter invited him to Washington for a summit. This raised hopes this could take place next month at the earliest.

Moon also held a phone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Thursday, vowing to dispatch a delegation led by a presidential envoy to Beijing in a bid to raise mutual understanding on the THAAD issue.

China has strongly opposed the THAAD installation, claiming the system seriously harms its national interests as system’s radar could be used to spy on its military capabilities.

With the possibility of reconsideration, the U.S. Forces Korea’s (USFK) speed for the complete deployment is expected to slow down.

The previous government and the USFK had been criticized for rushing to deploy the battery by conducting a surprise, overnight operation, April 26, to transport part of the THAAD elements including its radar to the site despite controversies. The USFK said, May 2, that its anti-missile system has already been put into operation, with Seoul’s defense ministry noting that full deployment is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Cheong Seong-chang, a senior research fellow at the Sejong Institute, said, “If the new government concludes that the THAAD deployment here was not a rational decision, it will need to make a drastic decision to cancel the deployment.” He cited that the nation is estimated to suffer annual economic damage of 16 to 18 trillion won due to China’s economic retaliation.

But other experts say it will not be easy for Moon to withdraw the initial agreement about the deployment, given that the cancelation will seriously shake the Seoul-Washington alliance.

They say the Moon government should be prepared for the upcoming negotiations to renew the allies’ defense cost-sharing deal as President Trump is believed to have demanded Seoul pay for the THAAD to use the issue in negotiations in order to make Seoul shoulder more of the burden.

With the current deal expiring next year, the allies will begin discussions at the end of this year at the earliest.