[Editorial] SK-US-Japan missile defense consolidation a misguided response to NK

Posted on : 2016-01-25 17:01 KST Modified on : 2016-01-25 17:01 KST
A sign at the front gate of a US Army radar base in Japan warns of unauthorized entry. Recently
A sign at the front gate of a US Army radar base in Japan warns of unauthorized entry. Recently

During a Jan. 22 policy report to the president that was also joined by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Unification, South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense announced that it was planning to set up a program over the next year that would allow the South Korean and US militaries to share real-time information about North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles. In other words, the two countries intend to swap missile defense information - which they have hitherto been managing separately - on Link 16, the US military’s network for real-time data exchange.

This represents a de facto integration of South Korea’s missile defense network into the US network. And since the US and Japanese militaries are already operating such a system, missile information sharing between South Korea and the US is tantamount to a joint missile defense system among South Korea, the US, and Japan, as well as increased military cooperation between the three countries. In Dec. 2014, they already signed an agreement to share information about North Korea’s nuclear and missile threat.

An official from the Ministry of National Defense insisted that this is information sharing, not integration into a missile defense system, but the remark is little better than sophistry. Since a missile defense system is composed of the four interconnected stages of data, judgment, decision, and strike, it’s ludicrous to even think of just one of these being implemented in isolation.

It would be more accurate to describe this as playing with words in order to appease negative public sentiment to South Korea’s integration in the US missile defense system and to a trilateral military alliance between South Korea, the US, and Japan.

Especially considering that, since North Korea’s fourth nuclear test, figures in the US and South Korea have been openly calling for using the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system of interceptors to enhance missile defense against North Korea, the Ministry of National Defense’s plans would seem to be aimed at paving the way for deploying THAAD in South Korea and creating a trilateral missile defense system between South Korea, the US and Japan.

Given the increasing threat posed by North Korea, it is important to take more military precautions. But if that means bolstering a trilateral missile defense system between South Korea, the US, and Japan and deploying THAAD on the Korean Peninsula, this is very likely to bring on a new Cold War and ratchet up regional tensions even further, without even preventing North Korea from committing provocations.

One particular problem is that setting aside diplomatic approaches and emphasizing military measures alone will make it harder to secure international cooperation, which is the central way to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.

This is the time for relevant government ministries and affected countries to draw up a plan for how to force North Korea to dismantle its nuclear arsenal and to focus on effective means corresponding to that plan.

This irrational attempt to take a harder line will not block North Korea from pursuing its nuclear ambitions; it will only undermine international cooperation on the issue. It’s in this sense that these erratic calls for missile defense are misguided.

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