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Pentagon Press Secretary

The deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system on the Korean Peninsula is the subject of “constant” discussions with the South Korean government, a Pentagon Press Secretary said.

“We all recognize the importance of the capability,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said at a Feb. 10 briefing when asked if the deployment was being discussed with Seoul.

“There’s constant discussions and certainly with our South Korean allies about that,” Kirby added.

“It’s important capability. It‘s one that we talk to them about,” he continued.

The remarks suggest that the US is continuing to press Seoul on the THAAD deployment issue.

The message marks a change from Washington, which previously maintained that no official discussions were taking place. US ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert called the matter a “non-issue” in late January, while Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken said on Feb. 9 that there had been “no decision” and “no active discussions” on it.

Speaking on Feb. 11 during a visit to South Korea, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia David Helvey said the US position on THAAD deployment remains unchanged and that no decision had been made.

“We have not had any consultation between the Korean and the U.S. governments regarding the deployment of THAAD,” Helvey said, adding that the US would “certainly be in full consultation with the South Korean government . . . if we were to move forward.”

The pattern of senior US officials claiming to be discussing THAAD deployment with Seoul, and then going back on the claims, has become more common since late 2014. In October, Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work said THAAD unit deployment was under consideration and the subject of discussions with Seoul. The US Defense Department later denied this after the remarks caused controversy in South Korea.

The two governments could be discussing the issue behind the scenes, while weighing the timing of an official announcement out of concerns about South Korean public opinion and the potential reactions from China and Russia.

Foreign affairs analysts in Washington are predicting the THAAD deployment could move forward quickly once circumstances become more favorable - such as after another provocation from North Korea. The talks could also be intended less as a step toward an imminent deployment and more as a pressure tactic against Beijing and Moscow.

By Park Hyun, Washington correspondent and Park Byong-su, senior staff writer

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