Is the Blue House Trying to Mobilize Korean Public Opinion to Cancel THAAD Deployment?
|That is what opposition parties in Korea are supposedly claiming:
Since the Blue House’ probe of the incident, the Thaad deployment may have to stop for a while. The four additional launchers cannot be activated anytime soon. Public criticism of the deployment is spreading. While opposition parties believe the presidential office is attempting to sway public opinion to support a cancellation of the deployment, the Pentagon insists the deployment procedure was transparent. Our internal friction could also damage a summit in June in Washington between Moon and U.S. President Donald Trump. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
You can read more at the link, but in my opinion the Blue House is looking for reasons to put the Defense Ministry on the defensive and possibly clean house. This allows the Blue House to appease their left wing base that is against the THAAD deployment without actually cancelling it. I would be very surprised if President Moon tries to cancel the THAAD deployment considering the ramifications to the US-ROK alliance.
Plus I think President Moon being the experienced politician he is wants negative public opinion against the deployment which he can use for upcoming cost sharing talks between the US and the ROK. President Moon can basically counter President Trump’s demand for the ROK to pay for THAAD by saying the majority of the ROK population does not want THAAD so why should they pay for it? This allows the ROK to get the defense benefits of THAAD without having to pay for it.
Given who Trump is, there’s probably a deal to be made… If Korea doesn’t want THAAD, Trump might move that, the Patriot batteries, and 2ID to Okinawa and Joint Base Lewis-McCord.
Then there’s no messy migun, no villes, no missiles, no worries… And then all US-based corporations will get cold feet and pull their folks (and dollars)…
Ever seen a run on a bank? It ain’t pretty. Of course, they’d still have the UN forces other than ours… 😈