(LEAD) U.S. deputy defense secretary stands by comments on THAAD
(ATTN: UPDATES with new readout in paras 8-10)
By Chang Jae-soon
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work stands by comments he made about a possible deployment of a THAAD missile defense battery to South Korea, his office said Wednesday, a day after Seoul's defense ministry refuted his remarks.
Work said during a security forum Tuesday that the U.S. is carefully considering whether or not to put a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system in South Korea while working with the government in Seoul on the issue.
The remark drew wide media attention because it contrasted with what South Korean officials have insisted so far, that the U.S. neither officially asked to deploy a THAAD system to South Korea nor did the two sides hold any discussions on the issue.
Seoul's defense ministry rejected the comments, saying the two sides never held discussions on the issue.
"Mr. Work's comments stand on their own," said Courtney Hillson, the public affairs officer at Work's office, in response to a Yonhap News Agency's request for comment. "Work explained yesterday: the U.S. is carefully considering the exact placement of THAAD's worldwide. THAAD batteries are strategic assets and placement is a national level decision."
When the deputy secretary made a trip to the region in August that also took him to South Korea, he explained that a strong alliance with South Korea is a central component of the United States' rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region, the officer said.
"The Department of Defense and the ROK (South Korea) have and will continue to work together to bolster the combined defense of the Korean Peninsula and deter North Korean aggression. The Deputy Secretary looks forward to working with the ROK to continue growing and strengthening the U.S.-ROK alliance," Hillson said.
Hours later, however, the department released a new readout saying the two countries have held "no formal consultations" on the issue, apparently backing off from the previous position, though it still said Work's statement stands on its own.
It also said the Pentagon has made no decision on THAAD yet.
"I interpret 'working with' as meaning in this context that before OSD (Office of the Secretary of Defense) makes any final decision on deployment of THAAD that we will have to discuss officially through alliance consultative mechanisms," said Lt. Col. Jeff Pool, a spokesman for the Defense Department.
The THAAD deployment plan is a sensitive issue because it is seen as U.S. pressure on Seoul to buy a new THAAD system. It could also inflame tensions with China and Russia as they see the U.S. move as a threat to their interests.
Critics in South Korea have also claimed the planned deployment is part of a broader U.S. attempt to get the Asian ally to join its missile defense system. Seoul has said it won't join the U.S. system, but will instead develop its own.
jschang@yna.co.kr
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