Controversial deployment of the U. S. anti-missile system is presenting an early test for the president’s strategy to reduce regional tensions
Newly elected South Korean President Moon Jae-in is finding that increased diplomacy and legal maneuvers alone will not resolve the dilemma he faces over the U. S. THAAD missile defense system.
Moon advocates a more engagement oriented and less confrontational approach to reduce tensions with nuclear North Korea than his conservative predecessor ex-President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached for her alleged ties to a multi-million dollar corruption scandal.
THAAD is presenting an early test for the president’s strategy to reduce regional tensions by balancing strong support for the U. S. alliance with increasing cooperation and outreach to China and North Korea.
Washington considers the advanced anti-missile battery critical for defense against North Korea’s growing nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities. Rejecting THAAD could strain the alliance and undermine the agreed upon extended deterrence and containment strategy.
“It could lead to complete review and questioning about the posture and the deployment of U. S. forces in Korea, if they are vulnerable to a North Korean missile attack, ” said Daniel Pinkston, a North Korea analyst and lecturer in international relations with Troy University in Seoul.
But supporting it will further alienate Beijing and Pyongyang that adamantly oppose the THAAD deployment as an attempt to increase U. S. military power in the region.
Many residents living near the THAAD site in a rural area of the country have also voiced concerns over the possible negative health effects of the system’s powerful radar, and are worried the battery deployment in their region puts them in danger from a potential North Korea attack.
