By Kang Seung-woo



The China-North Korea 'blood alliance' does not seem to be working against possible deployment of the U.S. missile shield on the Korean Peninsula.



Although Beijing is pressing Seoul not to approve the U.S. plan by dispatching its high-ranking diplomat here, Pyongyang is not in the same boat with its biggest ally, with the North instead voicing concerns for Russia, which also opposes the missile defense system.



North Korea observers say the Kim Jong-un regime may attempt to take advantage of the THAAD deployment by mending fences with China, taking into consideration a possible rift between Seoul and Beijing.



THAAD stands for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense and the U.S. Forces Korea is weighing up whether to ask for permission to deploy the missile defense system here to deter a growing threat from North Korea. China strongly opposes its deployment, alleging that THAAD could be used to nullify its military strike capabilities.



Although the North has criticized THAAD as the United States attempting to strengthen its hegemony in Asia-Pacific, it has shown no sign of taking sides with China.



North Korea's state-run Rodong Sinmun Thursday criticized the U.S. for having intensified tensions on the peninsula with its bid to deploy THAAD.



The Feb. 23 edition of the paper stated that the U.S. is trying to deploy its missile defense system to militarily press and topple Russia, representing the Russian side. U.S.-Russia ties are at their lowest ebb in decades since Moscow's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine last March.



However, the North has spoken little in support of China, which is within the sphere of influence of THAAD.



"The North's infatuation with Russia and silence on China's THAAD opposition is seen as a means to implicitly urge Beijing to improve the frosty ties with Pyongyang," said An Chan-il, head of the World Institute for North Korea Studies.



Since taking power in December 2011, the North Korean dictator has yet to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has met President Park Geun-hye five times. In addition, the execution of Kim's uncle Jang Song-thaek ― who was pro-China ― two years ago has further soured the bilateral rapport.



An added: "From a security perspective, the North's strategic value is not in China's favor. But THAAD deployment here may weaken ties between the South and China, so the North will try to recover its damaged reputation."



Chang Yong-seok, senior researcher at the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies of Seoul National University, said this is a possible scenario.



"For China, the THAAD issue may serve as momentum to rearrange diplomatic relations with neighboring countries," he said.



Meanwhile, a survey revealed Thursday that South Koreans tend to approve of THAAD deployment here.



According to Realmeter, a local pollster, 42.1 percent of 500 respondents supported the U.S. missile defense system on Korean soil, compared to 27.2 percent in opposition.



