[Epoch Times, August 11, 2022](Epoch Times reporter Xu Jian comprehensive report) Thursday (August 11) A senior official of the South Korean presidential office said that the THAAD anti-missile system is a self-defense defense method that can ensure national security. It concerns national security and sovereignty and cannot be compromised. This remark once again slapped the remarks of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In addition, it is expected that the US military THAAD base in South Korea in Seongju-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do will resume normal operations by the end of the month.
South Korea: THAAD issue not to be discussed
The day after the meeting between Chinese and South Korean foreign ministers Wang Yi and Park Jin (August 10), the CCP claimed that South Korea had made a “three no-limits” commitment to THAAD.
The “Three Nos” are the promises made by former South Korean President Moon Jae-in to the CCP, including not joining the U.S. missile defense system; not deploying additional THAAD anti-missile systems; and not advancing the South Korea-US-Japan military alliance.
But Moon’s approach has been abandoned by the new president, Yoon Sek-yue, who has pledged to strengthen security cooperation with Washington and has offered to buy more THAAD to counter North Korea’s expanding nuclear and missile threats.
On Thursday, South Korean presidential officials reiterated that, as stated many times before, the “Three Nos of THAAD” is not an agreement or agreement reached between South Korea and China, but only the position previously stated by the previous government. It is not an agreement or agreement to be inherited by the current government.
“THAAD is a means of defense that protects the lives and safety of our people from the threat of North Korea’s nuclear missiles,” a senior South Korean presidential official told reporters on Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity. “It is a security and sovereignty The question, I want to clarify, is that it can never be a topic of discussion with the Chinese side.”
The official also said that the previous administration had never briefed the current administration on matters related to the “Three Nos of THAAD” or provided relevant information.
The foreign ministers of the two countries held a five-hour meeting in China on Tuesday, and the two sides raised issues such as North Korea’s nuclear and missile threat, the semiconductor supply chain and the deployment of Thaad.
Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, commented on the meeting between the foreign ministers of China and South Korea at a press conference on Wednesday, saying that the South Korean government officially made a policy declaration of “three nos” to the outside world. A stumbling block affecting the relationship between the two countries.”
China’s foreign ministry initially said on its website on Wednesday that the South Korean side had “sworn” on the Thaad issue during the meeting, but later changed to “in-depth exchanges of views and exposition of respective positions”.
On Wednesday, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, who was still visiting Qingdao, told South Korean media reporters that he had made it clear to China that the so-called “Three Nos of THAAD” were not South Korea’s commitment to China or an agreement reached by the two sides.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea: The more the Chinese side raises the sadness between the two peoples
South Korea’s foreign ministry said in a statement that it is understood that Wang Wenbin’s “three nos” refer to the policies of the Moon Jae-in government.
The statement also said the Yoon administration insists that Thaad is a defensive tool to protect South Korean life and property, a national security issue that Seoul is reluctant to negotiate with Beijing. The statement also insisted that the “three nos” were never formal agreements or commitments.
“We emphasize that the more China mentions this, the more the people of the two countries will have a bad impression of each other and become a stumbling block to the relationship between the two countries,” the South Korean foreign ministry said.
“During the meeting, the two sides confirmed their differences on the THAAD issue, but also agreed that the issue should not be an obstacle to the relationship between the two countries.”
The Thaad base is expected to return to normal by the end of the month
On Thursday, when referring to the progress of the resumption of normal operation of the Thaad base, the official of the presidential palace said that the relevant work is under way and that the Thaad base is expected to return to normal by the end of the month.
When asked, what if the THAAD issue annoys the CCP and the other party takes economic retaliatory measures? The official emphasized that the THAAD anti-missile system is a self-defense means of defense aimed at protecting the lives and property of South Koreans, and concerns the sovereignty of national security.
The THAAD missile defense system (THAAD) is a missile defense system developed by the United States. In 2017, South Korea caused the CCP to jump because of the deployment of the THAAD system.
Responsible editor: Lin Yan#