South Korea Rejects Trump’s $1B THAAD Demand
By Brian Padden
Last Updated: April 28, 2017 7:11 AM
https://www.voanews.com/a/south-korea-rejects-trumps-1-billion-thaad-demand/3829391.html
A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor (right) is seen in Seongju, South Korea, April 26, 2017.
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — The South Korean government has quickly refuted U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for Seoul to pay $1 billion for the THAAD missile defense system.
The Defense Ministry put out a statement Friday saying, “There is no change in South Korea and the United States’ position that our government provides the land and supporting facilities and the U.S. bears the cost of THAAD system’s deployment, operation and maintenance.”
The deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile battery was agreed to last year by the administrations of then U.S. President Barack Obama and then South Korean President Park Geun-hye. Park was able to evade demands that she seek National Assembly approval for the deal by claiming no additional funding would be required for the THAAD deployment.
But during an interview Thursday with Reuters in Washington, President Trump said he wants South Korea to pay for the system.
A former U.S. State Department official estimated the cost of the system at $1.2 billion, but said the United States would not want to sell THAAD to Seoul.
Trump also said in the Oval Office interview he wants to resolve the crisis peacefully, possibly through the use of new economic sanctions, but added, “There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea.”
China has told Washington it has warned Pyongyang of new Chinese sanctions if it conducts another nuclear test, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a Fox News interview Thursday . That would be a departure for Beijing, which has until now been unwilling to impose sanctions beyond those ordered by the United Nations.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman declined to confirm or deny Tillerson's statement Friday, dismissing the question at a briefing as "hypothetical," the Associated Press reported.
Moon Jae-in, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, speaks during a televised debate in Goyang, South Korea, April 25, 2017.
Impossible option
South Korea is in the midst of a presidential election brought on by the impeachment of former President Park for her alleged involvement in a multimillion dollar corruption scandal.
The leading presidential candidate, Moon Jae-in, with the liberal leaning Democratic Party of Korea, has said he wants to postpone deploying the U.S. advanced anti-missile system until the new president takes office and can evaluate its benefits and drawbacks.
Moon’s spokesman Youn Kwan-suk Friday called for the THAAD deployment to be “immediately suspended,” and a foreign policy adviser, Kim Ki-jung at Seoul’s Yonsei University, said that purchasing THAAD would be “an impossible option,” adding that the cost issue was a key concern behind the candidate’s position that the deployment to be delayed.
Moon is currently comfortably ahead in the most recent Gallup election poll, with 40 percent support.
In the last year, South Korean public opinion on THAAD shifted from opposing to supporting the controversial American weapons system, as North Korea relentlessly moved forward with nuclear and ballistic missile tests in the face of increased international sanctions. An April 17 Chosun Ilbo newspaper survey found 60 percent of the South Korean public in favor of THAAD and 30 percent opposed.
FILE - A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor is launched during a successful intercept test, in this undated photo provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency.
Ahn surprised
Ahn Cheol-soo, the People’s Party candidate who ranks second in the polls, has supported THAAD as a needed defense measure despite concerns among some of his more liberal supporters that it is not worth the risk of provoking North Korea and alienating China. Ahn is currently at 24 percent in the recent Gallup poll.
Beijing charges the THAAD system’s radar could be used to spy on China and has reportedly retaliated by limiting tourism to South Korea, imports of Korean cosmetics and entertainment, and shutting down some South Korean department stores in China.
Ahn’s deputy spokesman, Nemo Kim, said Friday she is surprised by Trump’s demand and stated that the People’s Party candidate would not support THAAD under such a condition.
“It’s definitely something that the Korean people cannot agree to, obviously, since this deal took place with the current (acting) administration,” Kim said.
Kim also demanded the deal struck between the Park and Obama administrations be made public immediately to clarify what South Korea’s obligations are.
Conservative silent
Conservative Liberty Korea Party candidate Hong Joon-pyo, a strong THAAD supporter who is at 12 percent in the poll, has not yet commented on Trump’s seeming demand for $1 billion in THAAD reimbursement costs.
Admiral Harry Harris, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), said Wednesday during a congressional hearing in Washington the THAAD system will become operational “in the coming days.”
Also this week, THAAD components, including road-mobile launchers, interceptor missiles equipped with precise infrared-seeking technology, and the powerful radar system to target enemy missiles, were delivered to the designated deployment site on a Lotte-owned golf course in the rural southeastern part of the country.
In the interview with Reuters, Trump also called the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement “horrible” and said “we are going to renegotiate that deal or terminate it.”
Youmi Kim contributed to this report.
All comments (20)
Mark (from Virginia)
April 28, 2017 6:50 AM
THAAD is our bag of tricks, we are setting it up in South Korea at the behest of the South Korean government, so why would we expect the South to pay for its use there...? Trump, it is not all about dollars and cents. THAAD is also protecting American forces and American personnel in the region, so quite demanding reparations for everything. If, and I hope this never happens, but if a hot war reignites on the Korean Peninsula, does Trump expect South Korea to compensate America for every shell fired? Every bullet fired? Every bomb dropped? Quit the businessman mentality, Mr. President, and start acting like a president.
Mike
April 28, 2017 6:51 AM
S. Korea isn't used to a president who makes demands and doesn't back down. They need this system more than anyone in the world. Last time I checked we weren't receiving any aid from S. Korea nor were there many, many, many expensive products discounted for the US, their biggest customer. They have the money, they need the product, they can pay for it or they don't get it, same decision consumers are making about the Samsung S8.
Guy
April 28, 2017 8:47 AM
Most Korean goods are cheaper on the USA than they are in Korea. Especially, consumer electronics and automobiles.
Mitsuhashi
April 28, 2017 9:31 AM
S. Koreans have wanted to develop their own missile defense, ballistic missiles, nukes, etc. for decades. Trump wanting money for the THAAD deployment is basically saying "No, please don't defend yourselves. Lease us some land, we'll put our stuff there, it'll be a win-win" then backtracking and demanding protection money. It will infuriate the Koreans, who have already lost billions to China's economic retaliation for agreeing to US THAAD deployment there. We all know US THAAD is also there to keep China in check for the benefit of the US as well, NOT just for defending S. Korea against N. Korea.
Mitsuhashi
April 28, 2017 9:35 AM
Sorry, just wanted to add.. Korea didn't ask for THAAD, the US asked to place it there.
Thinkmore64
April 28, 2017 11:25 AM
South Korea isn't used to a nation that won't honor it's agreements. Like it or not, we have many agreements, treaties, and relationships with other nations. If we don't honor those, we'll look even more sleazy than our president.
John
April 28, 2017 7:36 AM
Interesting. If I were a South Korean, I'd say it'd be better to spend billions on producing South Korea's own nuclear weapons. They'd be a much better deterrent than THAAD.
meanbill
April 28, 2017 8:05 AM
[Like it or not] make the South Koreans pay for the THAAD missile defensive system that they don't need and don't want, because it will do nothing to protect South Korea [and] it is only meant to protect the US homeland from the Chinese and North Korean nuclear armed ICBMs that would threaten the US homeland? .. Make them pay?
Thinkmore64
April 28, 2017 11:28 AM
Yes, that's pretty ridiculous. But Trump got elected by people with no understanding of diplomacy and honor.
Mitsuhashi
April 28, 2017 9:22 AM
Sigh. Say goodbye to THAAD support. Every time someone comes along and acts like the US-ROK alliance only benefits ROK, citizen support for domestic development of attack weaponry including nukes shoots up. Since Korea spends many billions purchasing US weaponry over European or developing its own, that's a big loss to US defense businesses. Only reason Korea can be persuaded not to diversify its own defense industry year after year is because of the strength of the US-ROK alliance.
Derek
April 28, 2017 9:47 AM
If South Korea doesn't want our anti-missile defense systems & don't even want to contribute financially onc cent, then we shouldn't deploy it in South Korea except to defend US forces. We should protect South Korea but the entire cost doesn't have to be borne by the USA. South Korea is a rich nation. It can afford to help pay for its defense costs.
James
April 28, 2017 11:15 AM
I see this comment a lot from people who assume SK doesn't pay the U.S. for... whatever reason. SK pays America every year. I think the 2016 payment was somewhere around $800 million. Also, good reason to believe THAD isn't about protecting SK, since THAD is a more mid-long range interceptor. It's about protecting US forces in Japan, Guam, and Hawaii.
TV Monitor
April 28, 2017 2:10 PM
"we shouldn't deploy it in South Korea except to defend US forces. " But that's exactly why the THAAD was deployed, to protect the main US base and to provide early warning for US missile defense in Japan and in Alaska. THAAD doesn't protect Seoul at all. " It can afford to help pay for its defense costs." It already does. It spends $40 billion a year and incoming leftwingers are pledging to increase that to $60 billion a year, so that Americans can go home when time's right.
George abraham
April 28, 2017 10:18 AM
SK has to pay US if need THAAD Missile otherwise NK will.destroy.SKorea.One.Million dollar can pay in 20 instalments.SK has got money to give.Trump cannot.give everything free .Some concession can give.NK is dangerous.Growing.more missiles is to crush SKorea.So SK keep it in mind need.it for our safety.
TV Monitor
April 28, 2017 2:12 PM
Korea DOES NOT NEED THAAD, and never asked for one. Korea has its own two-layer missile defense system, and is the third layer called LSAM which is comparable to THAAD in interception capability.
Paul001
April 28, 2017 11:01 AM
Re: $1B price tag ... didn't previously know that the US was into extortion.
Lion of Tsavo
April 28, 2017 11:09 AM
I think South Korea must help costs about it, because debt load US to very so much which 106% ratio debt!
Dave77
April 28, 2017 12:21 PM
South Korea should just tell Trump to take his Thaad back . Maybe give it to Barron for Christmas.
TV Monitor
April 28, 2017 2:13 PM
That's exactly what the leading presidential contender is saying during the TV debate last night.
Edward Kim
April 28, 2017 12:59 PM
Trump mention is very clear to discard historical US-Korea relationship, and he want to setup a 'business negotiation' in both country by THAAD or so. If this status continued, Korea must develop long range missile and especially nuke, which US opposite to developed historically and support Korea as an ally. And then after develop missile and nukes, Korea can discuss with Trump about the business, as he wanted. FYI, some information said that some country who have advanced technology, like Korea, can develop Nukes around 6 months, and there would be even no needs of nuke test, because of a kind of simulation technology. No need to say their own Nukes or not.
川普要韩国为萨德支付10亿美元 首尔拒绝
博讯北京时间2017年4月28日
https://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/intl/2017/04/201704282223.shtml#.WQOKClUrK1Q
韩国贡州的萨德反导弹防御系统拦截机(2017年4月26日)
美国总统川普希望首尔为萨德反导弹防御系统支付10亿美元，韩国政府迅速表示拒绝。
韩国国防部星期五发表声明说，“韩国和美国政府立场没有变化，这就是，韩国政府提供土地和支持设施，美国负担萨德系统的部署、运行和维护的费用。”
去年，当时的美国奥巴马政府和韩国朴槿惠政府同意在韩国部署美国末端高空区域防御反导弹系统（THAAD，萨德）。朴槿惠声言部署萨德不需要韩国支付额外的费用，从而回避了要她寻求韩国国会批准的要求。
但是星期四在华盛顿接受路透社采访的时候，川普总统说，他希望韩国为萨德支付费用。
美国国务院一位前官员估计，在韩国部署的萨德系统费用大约为12亿美元，但是说美国并不是想把萨德出售给首尔。
川普在白宫椭圆形办公室接受采访的时候还说，他希望和平解决朝鲜半岛危机，或许是通过经济制裁的途径。但是他又说，“也可能我们会跟朝鲜有大冲突。”
来源：VOA (博讯 boxun.com)
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