The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
S. Korea leader delves into U.S.-backed missiles
New president didn’t know about extra launchers.
BEIJING — South Korea’s new President Moon Jae-in ordered a probe into the U.S.-backed THAAD missile defense system Tuesday, potentially jeopardizing a major military project designed to intercept North Korean missiles.
In March, Washington and Seoul deployed the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, anti-ballistic missile system in the county of Seongju, about 180 miles from Seoul. A fully equipped THAAD battery includes six to nine launchers — massive, boxy trucks that carry and fire missiles, in this case designed to intercept North Korean projectiles in midflight. The U.S. publicly deployed two.
Yet Moon was “shocked” Tuesday to learn that four additional launchers had been deployed, presidential spokesman Yoon Youngchan told a media briefing, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency. The country’s defense ministry had not informed Moon of the deployment, according to Yonhap.
Moon “called Defense Minister Han Min-koo to confirm,” Yonhap reported. “Han apparently confirmed.”
The reasons for the mix-up remain unclear. Neither the U.S. nor the South Korean military publicly commented.
“President Moon ordered to find out how the four additional rocket launchers were brought into the country, who made such a decision, why this has not been disclosed to the people and why this has not been reported to the new administration even to date,” Yoon said, according to the agency.
THAAD’s deployment was overseen by the country’s conservative former President Park Geun-hye, who was ousted in March after months of protests. South Koreans elected Moon, a liberal, on May 9; he was inaugurated one day later. He did not get a customary two-month transition period, and is still working with Cabinet members that his predecessor appointed.
The system has stirred controversy, both at home and abroad. Moon has criticized Park for failing to get a parliamentary approval for THAAD — she approved it in 2012, after a North Korean nuclear test — and has not sought parliamentary approval himself.
“I don’t know how they’re going to play this out — you know, people are opposed to (the system), so there’s gonna be a lot of finger pointing and blame,” said Daniel Pinkston, an international relations expert at Troy University in Seoul. “It’s hard to imagine that the (U.S.) military, just as far as inventory or paperwork go, would let four launchers with eight missiles each — so that’s 32 missiles — just slip through.”
South Koreans have protested the system, claiming that it constitutes a violation of the country’s sovereignty. North Korea has also complained, calling it a sign of the United States’ “black-hearted intention” that “clearly proves once again that the U.S. is (a) harasser and destroyer of peace, indifferent to regional stability.”
Yet its greatest detractor is arguably Beijing, which has argued that the system is part of a U.S. strategy to contain China. It retaliated with a monthslong campaign of diplomatic protests and unofficial sanctions against South Korean businesses.