{"id":2197802,"date":"2022-07-28T19:27:52","date_gmt":"2022-07-28T10:27:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nknews.org\/pro\/?p=2197802"},"modified":"2023-04-05T16:12:07","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T07:12:07","slug":"mad-about-thaad-south-korea-china-dispute-over-us-missile-interceptor-returns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2022\/07\/mad-about-thaad-south-korea-china-dispute-over-us-missile-interceptor-returns\/","title":{"rendered":"Mad about THAAD: South Korea-China dispute over US missile interceptor returns"},"content":{"rendered":"
A very public back and forth between South Korea and China over the deployment of an American missile defense system erupted this week, sowing the seeds for another dramatic fallout between Seoul and Beijing.<\/span><\/p>\n On Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian urged South Korea to stick to the previous government\u2019s promise in 2017 not to deploy any more U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile interceptor systems. At the time, Beijing <\/span>complained<\/span><\/a> that THAAD\u2019s <\/span>radar system<\/span><\/a> could be used to track the movement of China\u2019s missile forces, even though the deployment came in response to North Korean missile threats.<\/span><\/p>\n Zhao was responding to South Korean foreign minister Park Jin, who asserted earlier this week that the so-called three nos deal reached in 2017 \u2014 no more THAAD batteries, no participation in a U.S. missile defense network and no ROK-U.S.-Japan trilateral military alliance \u2014 was <\/span>not a formal agreement<\/span><\/a> between Seoul and Beijing.<\/span><\/p>\n SHRIMP BETWEEN WHALES<\/b><\/p>\n The situation encapsulates South Korea\u2019s dilemma as a \u201cshrimp between whales.\u201d As the old adage suggests, when China and the U.S. fight, it\u2019s South Korea that gets caught in the middle.<\/span><\/p>\n Beijing may well view the THAAD deployment as demonstrating \u201cthe U.S.\u2019s malicious intention to deliberately undermine China\u2019s strategic security.\u201d But Zhao likely raised eyebrows in Seoul when he <\/span>said<\/span><\/a> China\u2019s opposition to the deployment \u201cdoes not target the ROK.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Chinese protests over THAAD are concerning precisely because they have targeted South Korea. Its <\/span>economic boycott<\/span><\/a> in response to the initial deployment in 2017 caused billions of dollars in damage to South Korea\u2019s economy.<\/span><\/p>\n A few months later, after the Moon Jae-in administration took power from the conservatives, Seoul managed to convince Beijing to end the boycott by agreeing to the three nos.<\/span><\/p>\n The worry is that China could hit the ROK economy with another upper-cut if the Yoon Suk-yeol administration refuses to abide by his predecessor\u2019s pledge \u2014 especially since Zhao <\/span>made clear<\/span><\/a> that \u201ca commitment made should be a commitment kept despite the change of government.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n