The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Seoul suspending anti-missile system
Move comes as North fires off salvo of anti-ship arms.
South Korea’s TOKYO — newly elected president, Moon Jae-in, has suspended the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system, an apparent concession to China and a significant break with the United States on policy toward North Korea.
In comments to reporters, a senior official from the presidential Blue House in Seoul said Wednesday that the two launchers of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system that had been installed could remain but that four launchers that had yet to be deployed would not be set up until the administration completes an environmental assessment.
The announcement came hour before North Korea, early today, fired another salvo of missiles, keeping up the relentless pace of testing as it advances toward its goal of producing an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland United States.
The latest barrage comes after three launches in May, and means Kim Jong Un has now ordered almost as many missile launches this year alone as his father oversaw — 16 — during 17 years in power.
It was not immediately clear how many missiles were fired or what type they were, but they appeared to be anti-ship missiles rather than the ballistic missiles North Korea had been testing recently.
“North Korea fired multiple unidentified projectiles, assumed to be surface-to ship missiles, this morning from the vicinity of Wonsan,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, according to local media.
They flew about 125 miles, it said.
Despite the North’s accelerated missile testing, the U.S. missile defense system, known as THAAD, has been contentious in South Korea and has drawn sharp criticism from neighboring China, which views the system’s radar as a threat. Beijing has taken retaliatory economic measures against Seoul, including curtailing the flow of Chinese tourists and punishing South Korean companies in China.
During his campaign, Moon, who won the presidency last month, complained that the U.S. and the previous South Korean administration rushed to deploy THAAD before the election to present him with a fait accompli. His decision to suspend the installation could strain relations with the White House, which has taken a hard line in confronting North Korea. It could also raise concerns about U.S. efforts to present a tough, unified position with Japan and South Korea against the North.