The defense chiefs of South Korea and the US on Tuesday agreed to deploy an advanced US missile defense system this year as planned, despite persistent objections from China and rising political uncertainties here. 

During a 30-minute phone call, Defense Minister Han Min-koo and his US counterpart James Mattis also pledged an “overwhelming response” should North Korea commit a long-range missile test in line with leader Kim Jong-un’s New Year’s speech.

The conversation came three days ahead of the two officials’ bilateral meeting in Seoul, as part of Mattis’ first overseas trip as the new defense secretary under the Donald Trump administration. Mattis will visit Korea on Thursday and Friday, before traveling to Japan.

“The two ministers expressed grave concerns over escalating North Korean nuclear and missile threats,” the ministry said, referring to Kim‘s speech in which he said preparations for an intercontinental ballistic missile test are in the “final stage.”

“They also shared the need to station the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery system in the US Forces Korea as planned. ... In preparation for any contingency, we agreed to maintain watertight readiness to respond effectively and overwhelmingly.”

The Pentagon issued a separate statement Tuesday, saying Mattis reaffirmed Washington‘s commitment to defend Seoul against Pyongyang’s nuclear threat and provide “extended deterrence using the full range of US capabilities.”

During his two-day stay, Mattis will meet with acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn and National Security Office chief Kim Kwan-jin this Thursday. A day later, the Defense Secretary will sit down with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se.

The secretary’s pick of the two countries as his maiden destinations will “serve as meaningful and timely opportunity to send a strong signal to North Korea,” which has threatened to fire intercontinental ballistic missile at any time and place, the ministry here quoted Han as telling Mattis. 

In response, Mattis was quoted as saying that his decision to visit Seoul and Tokyo reflects Washington’s awareness of the importance of responding to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats and the development of the alliances.

Seoul and Washington unveiled the plan to install a THAAD battery here last year, aiming to finish its deployment around this summer. The battery will be stationed on a golf course in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, to be taken over by the ministry from local conglomerate Lotte Group.  

But the military acquisition of the site has hit a snag, as Lotte Group worries the deal would undermine its cosmetics and tourism business with China, which has taken punitive measures against Seoul, believing the system targets it.

The plan also faces political uncertainties at home. With President Park Geun-hye, who advocated for the THAAD deployment, being suspended from power over a massive bribery scandal, some opposition contenders are seeking to shelve it if they win the presidential election this year. 

Some security experts in Washington predicted the allies would discuss a plan to move up the schedule for THAADD deployment, saying they want to finalize the move before a new president takes power in South Korea, likely earlier than scheduled. 

“Secretary Mattis and his Korean counterparts are likely to seek to accelerate the deployment date of THAAD missile battery so that it happens prior to the next Korean election,” Patrick Cronin, senior director of the Asia Program at the Center for a New American Security, wrote in his column. 

President Park, who was impeached by the National Assembly in December last year, would be permanently removed from power if the Constitutional Court upholds the impeachment motion. The court’s outgoing Chief Justice Park Han-chul said the impeachment trial should conclude by March 13.  

But the Ministry of National Defense said the bilateral meeting would not directly discuss whether to deploy THAAD earlier than expected, but focus more on working out details before coming up with a specific plan for the deployment. 

“Now that both sides have agreed to move ahead with deployment as planned, they will try to come up with specific action plan,” a ministry official told reporters on customary condition of anonymity. “The THAAD issue will be discussed in that context (during the Friday meeting).”

By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)