US Deployment of THAAD in South Korea Is Directed at China and Russia

On July 8, the U.S. and South Korea announced a decision basically setting the time and location for the deployment of the THAAD anti-ballistic missile defense system. The U.S. and South Korea have delayed this transaction for a long time, but have finally reached a deal. From now on, the two sides do not need to continue being secretive about their positions to other foreign actors, mixing truth with falsehood, or contradicting themselves.

In a joint declaration, the U.S. and South Korea both stated that this move is being made in order to respond to “North Korean limited nuclear attacks against the U.S. and South Korea,” and is “not directed at any other country.” These remarks are all full of irony and lies, and do not contain a single honest word.

Everyone knows it is true that the THAAD missile defense system guards against high, not low, attacks; using it to handle North Korean long distance artillery or short range missiles is like using an artillery round to kill a mosquito. To take a step back and explain, if North Korea really wanted to use nuclear bombs to attack South Korea and the American troops there, they wouldn’t use long distance missiles. So would THAAD actually even be useful against those attacks? A U.S. commanding officer formerly stationed in South Korea said seriously that North Korea placing nuclear warheads inside of aircraft or on UAVs easily constitutes an increased threat to American forces in Korea.*

What do they mean by “not directed at any other country?” America’s deployment of THAAD in South Korea is clearly directed against China and Russia. U.S. officials have said that the existing anti-missile system, “is incapable of meeting strategic needs,” and also “lacks the strategic means to respond to a missile from either China or Russia.”** It is clear to see that America’s specific goal in deploying THAAD to South Korea is to face Chinese and Russian strategic missiles; its implementation is like a despicable trick.

This system’s radar is able to probe a range greater than 3,000 kilometers (about 1,864 miles), which would bring any missile launch in any part of north and east China within the scope of its monitoring. And this is not just during wartime. The U.S. would even be able to monitor everyday practice launches to steal data. According to Russia, building THAAD in South Korea is really equivalent to pressing them from both east and west with anti-missile defense systems. Anti-missile defense systems are scattered throughout NATO countries, completely destroying the effectiveness of Russian missiles in the West. A THAAD system in South Korea would even stifle cruise missile launches coming from the Russian Far East.

China has repeatedly warned South Korea that allowing THAAD to be deployed there would be doing America’s dirty work for them. It wouldn’t make South Korea more secure; rather it would make them less safe. It isn’t like South Korea truly doesn’t understand this. Bowing to pressure from the U.S. and allowing the U.S. to set up THAAD in their own country is the same as the South Koreans locking themselves up and handing the key to the Americans. South Korea’s act is offensive to China and Russia, and interjects destructive elements into a previously good Chinese-South Korean relationship. In the game of great power nations, blindly grasping for harmony can invite trouble from others. South Korean authorities should be able to understand this truth; don’t blindly cling to one’s course, it’s important to leave oneself an escape route.

Once again the facts prove that the Obama administration’s call for a nuclear-free world in reality is just words opposing the North Korean nuclear program. Beneath the surface the Obama administration is rather happy. The Americans certainly understand that the North Koreans’ claim that they can use nuclear weapons against U.S. territory is nothing more than an empty threat. To the U.S., North Korea’s current development of nuclear weapons is not a bad thing. The U.S. and South Korea, year after year, continue to increase their military exercises throughout Northeast Asia’s maritime space, unreasonably inciting North Korea to speed up nuclear weapon tests and development of longer-range missiles. If we look at North Korea’s actions from the opposite direction, it is simply giving America an excuse for deeply interfering in Northeast Asian affairs. In the same way that North Korea has gradually increased its nuclear weapon and missile capabilities, the U.S. has also achieved its goal of deploying THAAD. In the past, the media have pointed out that objectively speaking on this aspect of the situation, the U.S. and North Korea have lent a hand to each other. In a sense, this kind of commentary contains some truth.

Deploying the THAAD anti-ballistic missile system to South Korea will poison the situation in Northeast Asia. After this provocation, North Korea will no doubt continue down the road to possession of nuclear weapons as quickly as possible; the Japanese will also no doubt use “the threat of North Korea” as a pretext to deploy THAAD to Japan. Japan and South Korea will further claim the need for nuclear deterrence to respond to the North Koreans and step by step transform their desire for the manufacture of nuclear weapons into real action. Preparing for a rainy day can nip potential trouble in the bud; Asian countries should be on guard against this kind of move.

For some time, America’s desire to exercise exclusive control over the whole world has been growing to the extent that the U.S. has not hesitated to violate strategic taboos, all while simultaneously challenging China and Russia. The U.S. has attempted to use the expansion of NATO in the East and implementation of economic sanctions to weaken Russia. Calculating moves against China, it has meddled in the Senkaku Islands and thrown the South China Sea into disorder. Now it is again expanding its Asia Pacific strategy all the way to the Korean Peninsula. We only want to offer a bit of advice to America: Don’t overestimate yourself, misjudge the circumstances, or make mistakes in your calculations.

*Editor’s note: UAV is an acronym for unmanned aerial vehicle, which is an aircraft, commonly known as a drone, with no pilot on board and which can be remotely controlled.

**Editor’s note: Although accurately translated, these quoted passages could not be independently verified.