South Korean political parties are once again clashing over the US missile defense system THAAD, this time over President Moon Jae-in’s decision to begin the process of deploying four more launchers.

In the early hours of Saturday, Moon ordered four Terminal High Altitude Area Defense launchers to be deployed at the site in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province on a temporary basis, in response to Pyongyang’s latest missile launch. The four launchers, in addition to the two already deployed, will be positioned on a temporary basis, and will not affect Seoul’s environmental impact study. 

While the ruling Democratic Party of Korea praised the move, opposition parties attacked the presidential office saying that Moon should take a firmer stance.

“The Liberty Korea Party urges the Moon Jae-in government to stop temporary and for-show measures, and to up cooperation with the international community by strengthening the Korea-US alliance, carrying out immediate THAAD deployment and imposing tough sanctions,” the main opposition said in a statement.

The conservative main opposition also called on the government to review its security policies and to take a hard-line stance against Pyongyang.

The minor conservative opposition Bareun Party voiced similar views, saying that making the final decision on THAAD after the environmental impact study would be irresponsible.

“If the environmental study results rule out the THAAD deployment, people would be exposed to the threat of North Korea,” the party said in a statement.

“There is no guarantee that the Korea-US alliance will not be broken should our government rescind the decision to deploy THAAD.”

The chief of the parliamentary defense committee, Rep. Kim Young-woo of the Bareun Party, went further, calling for an overhaul of the new administration’s North Korean policies.

Saying that advances in North Korea’s missile program has changed the paradigm of the situation, Kim urged Moon to review his ideas and to fully deploy THAAD without the environmental study.

The People’s Party accused the government of sending mixed messages and of “amateurish” diplomacy.

“Just as the defense minister said that (Seoul) would work with (Washington) for the THAAD deployment, Cheong Wa Dae said that the launchers would be deployed temporarily and that full deployment would be decided after the environmental study,” the party said, accusing the government of attempting to appease China.

“The Moon Jae-in administration has been amateurish in diplomacy, falling out of step with the US in THAAD and North Korean relations, while giving China unnecessary expectations (toward THAAD).”

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)