North Korea has a long history of bellicose rhetoric, and much of it has proven to be nothing but empty noise. Recent instability in that region, however, has made it necessary to take the saber-rattling of the Hermit Kingdom more seriously than in the past.
True, Pyongyang’s threats of launching a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the United States are less plausible in the wake of its recent failed missile test, but itsr feverish resolve to get the capacity to lash out against the rest of the world cannot be lightly dismissed. President Trump’s own rhetorical excesses have not helped matters, but some of the actions the administration have taken so far have been responsible and prudent, most notably the administration’s decision to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) in South Korea.
THAAD is a missile defense system with the capacity to shoot down a North Korean launch in mid-flight. One would expect North Korea to be unhappy about this development, but it is China’s opposition to the deployment of THAAD that is complicating a situation that is already perilous.
China’s concerns have less to do with missile defense than with espionage. THAAD does not have an offensive capability, but it’s sophisticated radar system could potentially track Chinese missile systems, a fact that is not lost on either the Chinese government or the Chinese populace as a whole. Chinese pop star Xie Tianming released a music video called “Chant of Love” that includes the lyrics “America wants to deploy THAAD in Korea/They can spy on more than half of China.” Anti-THAAD protesters in South Korea have taken to singing “Chant of Love” at many of their rallies.
The difficulty here is that the United States is being forced to choose between a number of increasingly bad options. The Trump administration needs to manage this situation with a light and nimble touch, which is proving to be a challenge to a president not known for his subtlety. America has long relied on China to reign in North Korea’s excesses, and despite the THAAD opposition, the Trump administration appears to be making some progress in getting China onboard to help this time around. Yet South Korea is still reeling from the recent impeachment of its president, and Japan does not have the military might to counter North Korean aggression.
But whether we like it or not, the responsibility of keeping the peace in that corner of the world is increasingly falling to the United States, and THAAD represents the best tool available to keep our allies safe from attack, and that safety is and ought to be our first priority.