More THAAD launchers in Korea, Moon orders probe

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday called for a probe into four additional THAAD launchers being brought into the country, calling the development “shocking.”

Until now only the presence of two THAAD launchers, deployed at the site provided by the previous administration in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, was known.

“The president was briefed on the fact that four THAAD launchers, in addition to the two deployed in Seongju, have been brought into the country,” Yoon Young-chan, chief presidential press secretary, said. Yoon said that Moon verified the information with Minister of National Defense Han Min-koo after he was informed by NSC chief Chung Eui-yong.

“President Moon ordered the senior civil affairs secretary and the chief of the National Security Council to investigate the matter. To determine why the information was withheld from the new administration, and who was responsible for the decision.” 

According to Moon’s de facto transition committee, the Defense Ministry omitted related information in Thursday’s briefing.

“Information contained in the Defense Ministry’s briefing on Thursday only concerned the two THAAD launchers brought into the country. The part about the four additional launchers appears to have been omitted,” Lee Su-hoon, the chief foreign policy-national security subcommittee, said.

Democratic Party of Korea’s Rep. Park Kwang-on, the committee spokesman, added that the committee took the Defense Ministry’s report at face value, and that the ministry was not probed on related media reports.

The ministry, however, denied the accusations saying that Chung was informed about the issue in a separate briefing on Friday.

The issue of bringing the US missile defense system into South Korea has been a thorny issue that has raised criticism from both home and abroad. China, in particular, had reacted strongly to the deployment, subjecting South Korean economic entities to retaliatory measures.

The controversy surrounding the missile defense system was fueled further by US President Donald Trump’s comments that Seoul will be required to pay $1 billion to cover the costs, and when two launchers were moved to the site without prior notice on April 26.

As such, Moon had pledged to review the matter, demanding that the Park Geun-hye administration leave the matter until after the May 9 presidential election.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)