The North Korean government announced that it had successfully launched a satellite into orbit on Sunday, an action which is widely believed to have been a cover for a ballistic missile test. Reuters reports that South Korea and the United States have agreed to start formal talks in regards to placing a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea to protect against North Korean missile attacks. Japan may be considering a similar move, since North Korea’s rocket flew over the Okinawa prefecture during its flight. However, China is extremely opposed to placing THAAD systems in South Korea, as the radar it uses would allow it to monitor Chinese territory. There are also questions as to how effective THAAD systems would be against the types of missiles that North Korea in developing.
Related Articles
NATO Wins Will Have an Impact
CIPHER BRIEF EXPERT Q&A — NATO leaders convened at The Hague this week and agreed to raise the alliance’s defense spending target to 5% GDP, marking [...] More
Ukraine's Defense Export Pivot Is A Game-Changer
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE/OPINION -- Ukraine may have just fundamentally shifted the global defense landscape. On June 21st, Ukraine unleashed its "Build [...] More
Dear Presidential Candidates: North Korea is Part of Putin's Strategy
OPINION — The mutual defense pact that Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong Un signed on June 19, was a victory for [...] More
A Dark Path Ahead for North Korea
OPINION — As Russian President Vladimir Putin visits North Korea, it’s important to keep in mind the weapons including artillery shells and ballistic [...] More
