South Korea halts the deployment of THAAD and, along with Russia, reaches out to help the North economically, undermining Chinese sanctions and thwarting US efforts to contain Pyongyang
A new East Asian power alignment is shaping up on the Korean Peninsula as South Korea begins to distance itself from the United States to establish better relations with the North and Russia enters the mix.
Last week a senior aide to South Korean President Moon Jae-in announced that the deployment of the US antiballistic missile system known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) would be halted. THAAD has already been partly deployed in Seongju, South Gyeongsang, to guard against potential North Korean attacks. Moon opposed its deployment during his campaign and has now ordered a study into its environmental impact, which his aide said may take up to two years to complete.
This adds further tension to an already strained relationship, as US President Donald Trump has threatened to terminate the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement and force Seoul to pay for THAAD.
Watch: North Korean media issues rare criticism of China over nuclear warnings
At the same time, Russia is developing stronger economic ties with North Korea. “Russia and North Korea increased their bilateral trade during January and February of this year by 73 per cent when compared to the same period in 2016, ” the Russia state news agency Sputnik reported in May, adding that “Russian exports to North Korea have increased by 149.1 per cent”.
This was three months after China announced its embargo on coal exports to North Korea. China accounts for almost 90 per cent of North Korea’s foreign trade, and coal is the regime’s top export, meaning Beijing’s decision gives enormous weight to the international sanctions, which are intended to deter Pyongyang from pursuing its nuclear missiles programme.
North Korea launched anti-warship missiles on Thursday, its tenth missile test this year and fifth since Moon took office.
