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S. Korea’s domestic division on THAAD adds to China’s diplomatic rudeness

S. Korea’s domestic division on THAAD adds to China’s diplomatic rudeness

Posted July. 26, 2016 07:02,   

Updated July. 26, 2016 07:09

한국어

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi blamed South Korea for harming the foundation of mutual trust between the two countries by deciding to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, during a meeting with his South Korean counterpart Yun Byung-se in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, on Sunday evening. Wang virtually pushed Korea to stop the plan by saying, “Now I will hear what Minister Yun has to say about what kind of practical actions South Korea will take to protect the unwavering bilateral relations.” Such comment is deemed as a serious diplomatic impoliteness of disrespect and offense against Korea’s security sovereignty.

It is also notable that Mr. Wang discussed “the development of bilateral relationship” with North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, who attended the ASEAN Regional Security Forum, for the first time in two years. There have been media reports that the recent large-scale military drill China conducted in the west sea involving as many as 41 air jets, must have been targeted at “incapacitating South Korea’s THAAD system.” A Chinese city of Qingdao, which is a sister city of Daegu, suddenly canceled the Daegu Chicken and Beer Festival scheduled to be held on Wednesday. China’s crafty scheme to protest against the defense system seems to have begun.

China is expected to launch a self-designed aircraft carrier within this year at the earliest. It is showing off its confidence to even stand off against the U.S. in the South China Sea, based on its strengthened military capabilities including nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missiles, stealth fighter jets, and so on. The nation operates a radar system with a range of 5500 kilometers that covers all of the Korean Peninsula. Its missile troops aim precisely at the U.S. military base in South Korea. It is senseless that China has offended South Korea for deployment of a defense system when it did not disturb China for its straightforward military building lately. China stayed silent when Japan arranged a radar system with a much longer range of detection than the one to be deployed in Korea.

Meanwhile, in Korea, former prime minister, former ministers and the People’s Party, which claims “national security is conservatism,” are all stepping forward to condemn the THAAD deployment. They are raising concerns for heightened conflict with China, but it would be too much to refuse even a defense system while the North is keep advancing its nuclear and missile capabilities. Their claim comes from misunderstanding of the KOR-U.S. alliance and the U.S.-ROK combined defense mechanism. How could we protect our own security without support from the U.S. Armed Forces Korea when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatens to carry out a preemptive attack South Korean ports and airports where U.S. augmented forces are supposed to enter in case of emergency? Japan and Vietnam have united in the wake of conflicts with China. It is worrisome that China would be mocking Koreans divided in the issue of national security.



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