In a very dramatic gesture, President moon Jae-in puts a hold on the deployment of the United States' Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system or THAAD on South Korean territory. The move is influenced by President Moon's desire to open diplomatic talks with the North and to avoid the threat of Pyongyang raining missiles into South Korean cities.
What is South Korea's plans towards the North?
President Moon is open to slowly decrease the influence of the United States in South Korean policy making. Ever since the end of the Korean war, the United States have entrenched a contingent of soldiers continually on South Korean soil.
This is a problem for the new S. Korean President as he desires a great unified Korea in the future. The problem is that North Korea will not come to talks unless the South renounces all trade sanctions by the United Nations and drop the alliance with the United States.
It is Moon's policy to create the environment perfect for a dialogue with the North, but in doing so, he must effectively cut ties with the west. This is the very thing he seems on plannnig, especially with the sudden suspension of the deployment of the THAAD system. It is also expected that Moon will slowly orchestrate a moment where he will finally cut ties with the United States in favor of a united Korea. This is a fact that may be unacceptable to America as South Korea is the location of a major U.S.
base.
What is the reaction of the United States on this sudden shift in policy?
Despite the political agenda President Moon is pushing, the United States is adamant in projecting power in the Korean peninsula. Aside from South Korea, the U.S. is allied with Japan and the Japanese government supports an all out embargo on the rogue state.
Though the suspension of the installation of THAAD is a major setback it will not affect the overall security already in place by the United States against missile strikes.
The U.S. Navy had deployed to the Korean peninsula three carrier groups, two nuclear submarines and a fleet of support and supply ships. This is specifically intended to stop Pyongyang's continued focus on developing nuclear and ballistic capabilities.
It is uncertain how the United States will enforce its influence in this region, especially with President Moon slowly slipping into North Korea's sphere of influence. Yet one can be certain that if South Korea does shift to join its Northern sister, America's power in the east will be vastly limited.
