[Peace-discuss] FW: 'There is Very Little Moon Jae-in Can Do About THAAD Deployment in South Korea'

[Boyle, Francis A]

Francis A. Boyle
Law Building
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-----Original Message-----
From: Boyle, Francis A 
Sent: Saturday, May 13, 2017 5:46 AM
To: sectns.aals at lists.aals.org
Subject: 'There is Very Little Moon Jae-in Can Do About THAAD Deployment in South Korea'

https://sputniknews.com/asia/201705131053570195-moon-thaad-us-china/
The multifaceted issue of the US Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile system deployment in South Korea could be resolved only with the participation of the United States and China, analysts told Sputnik.


WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - South Korean President-elect Moon Jae-in will probably be unable to prevent the deployment of the US THAAD system in his country despite his expressed opposition to it.

"There is very little he [Moon] can do about THAAD now," University of Illinois International Law Professor Francis Boyle said on Friday. "[US President Donald] Trump rammed it in there before Moon's election precisely to preempt Moon from taking any steps to stop THAAD.



Newly elected South Korean President Moon Jae-in takes an oath during his inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, May 10, 2017.
(c) REUTERS/ Ahn Young-joon/Pool

THAAD Issue Resolution 'Nowhere as Near as the US Expects'
Moon, who advocates peacefully reducing tensions between North and South Korea and who has expressed skepticism about deploying THAAD, was elected president by a wide margin on Tuesday.

Boyle said Moon would have no choice but to accept US military diktats because of Washington's massive armed presence in his country.

"In all honesty, with 28,000 US troops there, South Korea is basically under the de facto military occupation by the United States left over from the Korean War," he said.

The deployment of THAAD in South Korea was really a US strategic move against China and Beijing's efforts would be required to convince Trump to remove it, Boyle recalled.

"The United States put THAAD in there as part of their 'pivot against China' that was started by [previous US president Barack] Obama. It will really be up to Chinese President Xi [Jinping] to convince Trump to pull out THAAD - if that can be done," he said.



A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor arrives at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, in this handout picture provided by the United States Forces Korea (USFK) and released by Yonhap on March 7, 2017. Picture taken on March 6, 2017 (c) REUTERS/ USFK/Yonhap 

Was Beijing's Latest Rocket Test 'Aimed at THAAD'?
Boyle suggested that pulling the THAAD system out of South Korea could be accomplished as part of an overall deal among between the United States, China and North Korea for the denuclearization of the North.

"I am confident President Moon will do what he can to promote such a deal," he said.