South Korea and the United States appear to have differences on the controversial deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery here as U.S. National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, right, opened the possibility of renegotiation on who will bear the cost of the deployment, while his South Korean counterpart Kim Kwan-jin, left, said the two sides' existing agreement calling for Washington to pay remained unchanged. / Graphic by Cho Sang-won



McMaster hints at renegotiations despite Seoul's denial

By Jun Ji-hye

U.S. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster's remarks supportive of President Donald Trump's call for South Korea to pay for a U.S. missile shield reaffirmed that Washington wants to renegotiate the terms of the agreement despite Seoul's denial.

Analysts say the Trump administration's inconsistency will harm the Korea-U.S. alliance and cause stronger public opposition to the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here.

McMaster opened the possibility of renegotiation, saying he would not contradict the U.S. president, during an interview with Fox News Sunday.

In that interview, he also rejected reports that he promised the U.S. will pay for THAAD during a phone conservation with his South Korean counterpart Kim Kwan-jin earlier in the day.

"The last thing I would ever do is contradict the president of the United States, you know? And that's not what it was. In fact, what I told our South Korean counterpart is that until any renegotiation, the deal is in place," McMaster said.

The remarks were construed as the White House indicating that it would adhere to the existing agreement between the allies for now, but renegotiation can also take place if necessary.

Controversy regarding the THAAD costs was ignited after President Trump abruptly said last week that Seoul should pay for the deployment that he estimated at about $1 billion — remarks squarely against the allies' previous agreement calling for Seoul to provide the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) with the site for the battery and other infrastructure, and for the U.S. to shoulder the cost of deployment and operation.

McMaster said that Trump is seeking to "have appropriate burden-sharing, responsibility-sharing" with American allies including South Korea and NATO.

His comments sounded different from what Cheong Wa Dae said right after that phone conservation as it said in a press release that McMaster and Kim reconfirmed their exiting agreement.

After McMaster's unexpected remarks were made public here Monday, Cheong Wa Dae as well as the Ministry of National Defense claimed the THAAD deployment is not an issue to be renegotiated as the allies have already reached an agreement based on the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) that governs the legal status and treatment of U.S. military assets and troops stationed in South Korea.

Cheong Wa Dae said the validity of the existing agreement was reconfirmed as McMaster said "the deal is in place." But the office fell short of explaining his mention of renegotiation.

Defense ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun said, "I don't think it's an issue for renegotiation. Relevant regulations are specified in SOFA."

The U.S. administration's deal-breaking remarks are apparently embarrassing the government, which agreed to host the anti-missile system last July despite mounting protest and anger from its No. 1 trade partner, China, as well as local residents, who are still protesting.

In accordance with the existing agreement, the government provided the USFK with land in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province, April 20. Then, the USFK moved an AN/TPY-2 X-Band radar, mobile launchers and other key equipment needed to set up the THAAD unit, last Wednesday.

Critics say the ongoing situation could be an indication of the beginning of what they said was a "Trump risk" that describes unilateral U.S. actions to secure the country's own interests without taking agreements with its allies into consideration.

"The Trump administration appears to be determined to renegotiate the THAAD issue," said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior research fellow at the Sejong Institute, a private think tank. "If the new South Korean government rejects the renegotiation, the U.S. is likely to respond very strongly, for example, by calling for terminating the free trade agreement between the two countries."

Critics added Washington is also expected to use the THAAD issue in the allies' upcoming discussion to renew their defense cost-sharing deal, also known as the special measures agreement, in order to raise Seoul's ratio. With the current deal expiring next year, the two sides will begin discussions at the end of this year at the earliest.

Meanwhile, presidential frontrunner Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea said, through an aide: "The South Korean people cannot repress their astonishment over the two governments playing ping-pong on the THAAD costs."

Rep. Park Kwang-on, public relations chief for Moon, said, "Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn and National Security Office chief Kim Kwan-jin should reveal the truth and offer an apology to the public."

Park added that the deployment process should stop right now, and the issue should be handed over to the next government so that the next president can review it and make a final decision.