South Korea and U.S. Begin Formal Talks on Missile Shield
February 07 2016 - 08:30PM
Dow Jones News
Hours after a North Korean long-range rocket launch, Washington
and Seoul said they were in consultations over the deployment of an
advanced missile defense shield in South Korea.
The potential deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area
Defense, or Thaad, system on the Korean Peninsula is strongly
opposed by China. Wary of closer cooperation between the U.S. and
South Korea, Beijing has warned Seoul that the introduction of
Thaad could hurt their bilateral ties.
The move by Seoul and Washington to begin formal talks comes
after informal discussions between the two sides over Thaad
increased following North Korea's nuclear bomb test on Jan. 6.
The goal of the consultations is to "explore the feasibility of
Thaad deploying to and operating on the Korean Peninsula at the
earliest possible date," U.S. Forces Korea and the South Korean
government said in a joint statement on Sunday.
"The Republic of Korea and the U.S. have determined that today's
long-range ballistic missile launch and recent nuclear test by
North Korea highlights the serious nuclear, weapons of mass
destruction, and ballistic missile threat they pose to the peace
and stability of the ROK and the entire Asia-Pacific region,"
according to the statement.
China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China was
"deeply concerned" by the announcement from the U.S. and South
Korea, according to a statement posted on the ministry's website
Sunday.
"China's position on the issue of missile defense is consistent
and clear: when one country seeks its own security, it cannot harm
the security interests of other countries," the statement said.
Efforts toward building a regional missile-defense system would
escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and wouldn't be
conducive to regional peace and stability, the statement said.
The Thaad system targets and destroys incoming missiles at high
altitudes. South Korea's existing missile defenses and its plans
for new technology are designed to defend against missiles at lower
altitudes.
Defense officials said that Thaad would be focused solely on
North Korea and contribute to a "layered missile defense" to
enhance the alliance's existing missile defense capabilities.
"North Korea continues to develop their nuclear weapons and
ballistic missile programs, and it is the responsibility of our
Alliance to maintain a strong defense against those threats. THAAD
would add an important capability in a layered and effective
missile defense," Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of U.S. Forces
Korea said in a separate statement.
Write to Gordon Lubold at Gordon.Lubold@wsj.com and Alastair
Gale at alastair.gale@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 07, 2016 20:15 ET (01:15 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.