Seoul’s foreign ministry has reiterated that the issue of the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system in South Korea is not subject to negotiation with any country.
Ministry spokesperson Choi Young-sam issued the stance in a regular briefing on Thursday.
Choi told reporters during a news briefing on Thursday that the nation is exercising its right to sovereign security with the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense(THAAD) anti-ballistic missile system to counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.
Choi was responding to a question on how the government plans to persuade China regarding its move to normalize access to the THAAD military base in the southeastern county of Seongju.
While admitting that China may have a different view on this matter, Choi added that Seoul believes China correctly understands what South Korea has in mind.
In an article that analyzed the significance of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between South Korea and China on Wednesday, the state-run Global Times assessed that the two countries have developed bilateral economic cooperation in a remarkable way.
But the Chinese outlet pointed out that the reemergence of the THAAD issue is the most sensitive and important part in the current Seoul-Beijing relations.
Source: KBS World Radio