The U.S. stated Monday that there is “absolutely no connection” between the ongoing international move to place strong sanctions on North Korea and its consultation with South Korea for deployment of its advanced missile defense system here.
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| Secretary of State John Kerry. This photo is not directly related to the story. (Yonhap) |
The statement echoed the Seoul government in saying that stationing the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system on the peninsula to counter North Korean threats was an issue of security, and is not related to the recent Washington-Beijing cooperation for a new package of sanctions on Pyongyang.
“There has, in the wake of the most recent provocations by the North, been an agreement to begin consultations with South Korea about the potential efficacy of such a deployment. But no decisions have been made one way or another. So physically, just in a tangible sense, there could be no quid pro quo (with talks with China over sanctions against the North),” U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby was quoted as saying by local media.
Last week, South Korea and the U.S. were to officially announce the launch of the joint working group on THAAD talks which had been initiated due to Pyongyang’s nuclear test on Jan. 6 and launch of a long-range rocket on Feb. 7. But this was abruptly delayed soon after China, the strongest opponent of THAAD deployment in South Korea, started talks with the U.S. over the new U.N. Security Council resolution to include sanctions against North Korea.
The U.S. Pacific Commander Harry Harris also stated last week that the Seoul-Washington consultation on THAAD does not necessarily equate to a decision to actually deploy the system. The statement, coupled with the timing of the THAAD talks’ delay, sparked speculation that the THAAD plan may be scrapped in exchange for China’s endorsement of the resolution.
Seoul’s Defense Ministry attempted to downplay the rumors by stating Monday that the allies still view THAAD as necessary for defending the country and U.S. citizens here.
By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)
