Re: Who does THAAD protect?
Sometimes the way a question is not answered gives you the true answer. And I think your question to the defense minister about the THAAD was very spot-on and important and unfortunately, you got the real answer by his evasion.
The real victor in all of the THAAD issue is North Korea. I have this feeling that Kim Jung-Un is sitting in Pyongyang laughing at the whole process. Launching an occasional defective missile goes a lot longer in sowing seeds of discontent among allies than anything else he could do.
South Korea wants protection from North Korean aggression even as weak, unpredictable and misguided as it is. The United States is more than willing to offer such protection but like you said, it is more for defense of their soldiers than for the average Korean. Such defense upsets China which has been getting too cozy with South Korea of late and widens the distrust between the U.S. and China.
THAAD talk drives more of a wedge between China and South Korea but it doesn't cause China and North Korea to get closer because deep down, China knows ― or should know ― that this is all North Korea's doing. Russia is not happy with it either because it is the U.S. but their interest is not as strong as in past years.
There may come a time when South Koreans simply say, that if THAAD doesn't protect them but just the American interests, let's get rid of the American military. That is what North Korea has wanted since 1953. Would the South be any less of a target without the American military?
Your column raises a lot of questions. More than the defense minister cares to answer.
Koreans ahead of US soldiers
I read with interest your July 17 OP-Ed, Who does THAAD Protect? It will protect all residents within its area of coverage when installed, just as Patriot missiles have done and still do in protecting the citizens of Korea. Yes, your trade relationship with China may be, as you claim, in "tatters," but now China knows that the current Republic of Korea government has a higher level of testosterone circulating in it than they once perceived. China now realizes they underestimated the Republic of Korea.
Now, to answer your ridiculous hypothetical question - there is only one Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile left against two incoming North Korean missiles ― one toward the U.S. military in Pyeongtaek and the other homing in on downtown Seoul. "Which target would be the priority?"
The real answer to your hypothetical is, if a U.S. General was stupid enough to issue an order to not shoot down the missile headed for "downtown Seoul" with the remaining THAAD missile, every single U.S. enlisted man and Warrant Officer (who would really be actuating the firing of the sole remaining THAAD missile in your hypothetical question) would tell the U.S. General to go screw himself and shoot down the incoming missile headed for "downtown Seoul."
Who do you think we are?! And, what in the heck do you think we are made of?!
Americans are stationed in Korea to protect you and the rest of the citizens of the Republic of Korea, just as my father did immediately after the end of WWII and my son did - he just returned from a year long deployment in South Korea.
Sometimes the way a question is not answered gives you the true answer. And I think your question to the defense minister about the THAAD was very spot-on and important and unfortunately, you got the real answer by his evasion.
The real victor in all of the THAAD issue is North Korea. I have this feeling that Kim Jung-Un is sitting in Pyongyang laughing at the whole process. Launching an occasional defective missile goes a lot longer in sowing seeds of discontent among allies than anything else he could do.
South Korea wants protection from North Korean aggression even as weak, unpredictable and misguided as it is. The United States is more than willing to offer such protection but like you said, it is more for defense of their soldiers than for the average Korean. Such defense upsets China which has been getting too cozy with South Korea of late and widens the distrust between the U.S. and China.
THAAD talk drives more of a wedge between China and South Korea but it doesn't cause China and North Korea to get closer because deep down, China knows ― or should know ― that this is all North Korea's doing. Russia is not happy with it either because it is the U.S. but their interest is not as strong as in past years.
There may come a time when South Koreans simply say, that if THAAD doesn't protect them but just the American interests, let's get rid of the American military. That is what North Korea has wanted since 1953. Would the South be any less of a target without the American military?
Your column raises a lot of questions. More than the defense minister cares to answer.
Koreans ahead of US soldiers
I read with interest your July 17 OP-Ed, Who does THAAD Protect? It will protect all residents within its area of coverage when installed, just as Patriot missiles have done and still do in protecting the citizens of Korea. Yes, your trade relationship with China may be, as you claim, in "tatters," but now China knows that the current Republic of Korea government has a higher level of testosterone circulating in it than they once perceived. China now realizes they underestimated the Republic of Korea.
Now, to answer your ridiculous hypothetical question - there is only one Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile left against two incoming North Korean missiles ― one toward the U.S. military in Pyeongtaek and the other homing in on downtown Seoul. "Which target would be the priority?"
The real answer to your hypothetical is, if a U.S. General was stupid enough to issue an order to not shoot down the missile headed for "downtown Seoul" with the remaining THAAD missile, every single U.S. enlisted man and Warrant Officer (who would really be actuating the firing of the sole remaining THAAD missile in your hypothetical question) would tell the U.S. General to go screw himself and shoot down the incoming missile headed for "downtown Seoul."
Who do you think we are?! And, what in the heck do you think we are made of?!
Americans are stationed in Korea to protect you and the rest of the citizens of the Republic of Korea, just as my father did immediately after the end of WWII and my son did - he just returned from a year long deployment in South Korea.
Nate Bauer
College Station, Texas
natbauerjr@hotmail.com
![[INTERVIEW] Virtual K-pop group MAVE: is more than just pretty pixels](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/bcc387606cf7451c94f51a5978960c9f.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] 'Cobweb' director questions meaning of cinema](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/a029c9ea411f4aef94c6310f6a7c3c54.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Seoul's increased art market momentum brings Sotheby's back to Korea](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/3439cc1e2d744b85ab81fdcf6f045ba5.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
