Missile Defense in the Korean Peninsula

In the wake of a 4^th nuclear test, a satellite launch, and, most recently, a KCNA film portraying a North Korean ICBM striking Washington, DC, the question has been raised yet again about whether the U.S. is doing enough to curb North Korean provocations. While the notion that North Korean missiles can reach Washington is dubious, what is clear is the threat to U.S. forces stationed in South Korea and Japan by the entire panoply of the North Korean ballistic missile arsenal. In light of this reality, U.S. military planners, who have pushed for THAAD’s deployment on U.S. bases in South Korea for several years, may finally get their wish.

For the proponents of THAAD, deployment would signal to the world that President Park Geun Hye is doubling down on South Korea’s commitment as a U.S. ally and would signal to North Korea that its ballistic black mail garners no real strategic advantage. However, many are not so sure. According to Stephen Costello of Asia East, such a move would back South Korea into a corner, because it “… indicates closer alignment with the strategies of the U.S. and Japan… and limits Seoul’s diplomatic power and influence.”