"US Aims for South Korea to Align with America... Chinese Media Cautious of South Korea's Moves, Alert on 'THAAD Normalization'"

Experts: "Normalization of THAAD Base Will Seriously Harm Korea-China Relations"
South Korean Defense Ministry Approaches Formation of 'Environmental Impact Assessment Council,' a Crucial Step for THAAD Normalization

The appearance of THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense). Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] The Chinese state-run newspaper Global Times cited experts warning to be cautious about 'South Korea's normalization of the US THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) base in Korea.'

According to the media, L? Chao of the Liaoning Provincial Academy of Social Sciences stated, "Given the South Korean Ministry of National Defense's movements, it is highly likely that the THAAD base will be normalized once the environmental impact assessment is completed," and added, "We must be highly vigilant about South Korea's actions."

Researcher L? Chao focused on the US demand for South Korea to normalize the THAAD base, explaining, "The US is aiming for South Korea to align with it, taking advantage of the expanded deployment of US troops in Korea and the deterioration of China-Korea relations."

Another expert also warned that if South Korea normalizes the THAAD base, it would have a serious negative impact on China-Korea relations.

Da Zegang, Director of the Northeast Asia Research Institute at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, referred to President Yoon Seok-yeol's THAAD deployment pledge, stating, "(If South Korea deploys THAAD) it undoubtedly ignores China's security concerns," and emphasized, "Due to the complex geopolitical structure, it will pose a threat not only to China but also to other countries and seriously affect the development of China-Korea relations."

Earlier, Global Times indirectly mentioned that when the Park Geun-hye administration decided to deploy THAAD in 2016, China imposed sanctions such as the Hanhanryeong (限韓令, Korean Wave restriction order) and restrictions on Youke (遊客, Chinese tourists).

The media stated, "China-Korea relations have cooled due to the THAAD issue, and if mutual trust between the two countries is damaged and public sentiment worsens, it will inevitably have a serious impact on exchanges in various fields," and argued, "Based on past experiences and lessons, this issue (THAAD deployment) should be properly controlled so as not to affect bilateral relations."

Meanwhile, President Yoon had pledged during his presidential campaign to complete the environmental impact assessment for the THAAD base, which has been 'temporarily deployed' for five years, and to normalize the base.

To normalize the THAAD base, a general environmental impact assessment under the Environmental Impact Assessment Act must be conducted first. Accordingly, the Ministry of National Defense is accelerating the formation of the evaluation council, the body responsible for conducting the assessment, by requesting recommendations for committee members from environmental agencies and relevant local governments.