“South Korea is now entering the U.S missile defense network, which would harm the geopolitical balance in the region and provoke strategic change from China and Russia”
While the US has convinced South Korea that it is necessary to protect against nuclear attacks from North Korea, its sophisticated radar means that it also enables military surveillance deep into Chinese and Russian territory. The move has increased tensions in the region and some experts say the system’s deployment could present Seoul with a diplomatic dilemma.
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense(THAAD) system is designed to track and shoot down missiles at altitudes of up to a 200 kilometers. One battery of the THAAD cost between US$ 1.5 to 2.5 billion.
South Korea pays $766 million per year to maintain US military presence in the country with 4 percent annual increases. New talks on the costs of US forces’ deployment in South Korea are expected in 2018.
