U.S., South Korea to defend against 'evolving' North Korean threat

[webfact]

U.S., South Korea to defend against 'evolving' North Korean threat

REUTERS

 

South Korean Defence Minister Han Min-Koo answers questions during a news conference inside a military headquarters in Quezon city, metro Manila September 14, 2015. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

 

WASHINGTON/SEOUL (Reuters) - U.S. Defence Secretary James Mattis and his South Korean counterpart agreed during a phone call on Monday to strengthen their defence against "the evolving North Korean threat," the Pentagon said, amid reports the North may be preparing a new missile test.

 

Mattis, who is to visit South Korea on Thursday, reaffirmed to South Korean Defence Minister Han Min-koo the U.S. commitment to defend the country and "provide extended deterrence using the full range of U.S. capabilities," the Pentagon said in a statement.

 

The South Korean Defence Ministry said in a statement the two sides had agreed to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system in South Korea as planned to defend against North Korea's nuclear and ballistic capabilities.

 

China has objected to THAAD, saying it will destabilise the regional security balance, leading to calls from some South Korean opposition leaders to delay or cancel it.

 

Mattis's visit to the region comes amid reports that the North may be readying to test a new ballistic missile in what could be an early challenge for of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.

 

The North also appears to have restarted operation of a reactor at its main Yongbyon nuclear facility that produces plutonium that can be used for its nuclear weapons programme, according to a U.S. think tank.

 

North Korea has carried out a series of nuclear and missile tests in defiance of U.N sanctions. It conducted its fifth nuclear test in September. North and South are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

 

Mattis also met Jordan's King Abdullah at the Pentagon and expressed his deep appreciation for Jordan's contributions to the fight against Islamic State, the Pentagon statement said.

 

(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Ju-min Park in Seoul; Editing by Nick Macfie)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-01-31

[mettech]

Well who will push the bottom to let go the death bird????

[IAMHERE]

" China has objected to THAAD, saying it will destabilise the regional security balance, leading to calls from some South Korean opposition leaders to delay or cancel it. "

 

WOW, does China not think North Korea with a capable Nuclear Weapon doesn't 'destabilise' the regional security balance ?  You can't make this up folks.

[Srikcir]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

U.S. Defence Secretary James Mattis and his South Korean counterpart agreed during a phone call on Monday to strengthen their defence against "the evolving North Korean threat,"

That likely ruins Trump's planned Great Deal with Kim.

Good for Mattis to support and strengthen the existing defence systems created with the USA and ROC.

But with Mattis being very adament about the need for NATO contrary to Trump's viewpoint, I wouldn't be surprised Mattis resigns within two years from further conflicts with Trump.

[Dumbastheycome]

4 hours ago, IAMHERE said:

" China has objected to THAAD, saying it will destabilise the regional security balance, leading to calls from some South Korean opposition leaders to delay or cancel it. "

 

WOW, does China not think North Korea with a capable Nuclear Weapon doesn't 'destabilise' the regional security balance ?  You can't make this up folks.

Do you think  China  wants or needs  a  nuclear incident near near? Of course they  wish to  defuse  a situation that in actuallity is  NOT of their  making  but a significant other ! It is  a continuation of a  desire from that that  encourage  a Chump!

[hawker9000]

3 hours ago, Dumbastheycome said:

Do you think  China  wants or needs  a  nuclear incident near near? Of course they  wish to  defuse  a situation that in actuallity is  NOT of their  making  but a significant other ! It is  a continuation of a  desire from that that  encourage  a Chump!

What you wrote is incomprehensible, but if China wants to defuse the situation all they have to do is knock back their client (N Korea) a bit.  If not, then THAAD for S Korea is pure common sense.   For China to term it "destabilizing", with N Korea now in the habit of conducting missile tests, is beyond absurd.   KJU being the actual source of instability on the Korean peninsula and in the region, THAAD is actually just the opposite and very much what the situation calls for!

 

Anyway, China could obviously care less about anyone else's opinion when it comes to the S China Sea.  Talk about "destabilizing the region"!  They have thus devalued their own opinion on "regional stability".  Ignore them.

 

[mrwebb8825]

On 1/31/2017 at 4:16 PM, IAMHERE said:

" China has objected to THAAD, saying it will destabilise the regional security balance, leading to calls from some South Korean opposition leaders to delay or cancel it. "

 

WOW, does China not think North Korea with a capable Nuclear Weapon doesn't 'destabilise' the regional security balance ?  You can't make this up folks.

China's objection is founded in the fact that that missile defense system can also take out their missiles thus reducing their threat in defending their claim on the south china seas.

Once Trump and Mattis have S. Korea well armed with deterrents and have Russia all lined up with trade agreements, China will cease to be a threat to anyone, thus destabilizing N. Korea.

Why do so many people focus on the little picture? Good thing you're not in the White House.

[hawker9000]

7 minutes ago, mrwebb8825 said:

China's objection is founded in the fact that that missile defense system can also take out their missiles thus reducing their threat in defending their claim on the south china seas.

Once Trump and Mattis have S. Korea well armed with deterrents and have Russia all lined up with trade agreements, China will cease to be a threat to anyone, thus destabilizing N. Korea.

Why do so many people focus on the little picture? Good thing you're not in the White House.

Well, then China's objection is based on the absurd.  THAAD will be effective perhaps against the very small number of missiles N. Korea is ever going to be able to afford to deploy, but certainly not against anything like China's huge arsenal.   And as for Russia, they don't seem to have any problem supplying Iran with highly capable missile systems, intended to devalue US and Israeli "threats" - but I guess regional destabilization must be an issue only in the Far East but not the Middle East, eh?   Either that or we're just going to have one set of rules for Russia and China and another for the west.

 

The fact is, should S, Korea (and Japan) be denied missile defense, it'll only tend to bring them together in the first place, despite their lingering WWII grievances, and encourage development by them of their own nuclear capability.  The Japanese PM has already mentioned it supportively, and both countries are capable of developing the weapons as well as the delivery systems should they so choose. 

 

[mrwebb8825]

2 hours ago, hawker9000 said:

The fact is, should S, Korea (and Japan) be denied missile defense, it'll only tend to bring them together in the first place, despite their lingering WWII grievances, and encourage development by them of their own nuclear capability.  The Japanese PM has already mentioned it supportively, and both countries are capable of developing the weapons as well as the delivery systems should they so choose. 

Not sure where you get your information from but when Trump mentioned on the campaign trail that he wouldn't be against pulling America's Protection Umbrella away from Japan and S. Korea and letting them arm themselves with nuclear weapons, both leaders nearly pissed themselves with fear.

 

Also,  Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), formerly Theater High Altitude Area Defense, is a United States Army anti-ballistic missile system designed to shoot down short, medium, and intermediate range ballistic missiles in their terminal phase using a hit-to-kill approach.

 

We have better stuff on our carriers, submarines and allied land bases that can neutralize anything China has. A deal can be made with Russia to cut missile supply lines to areas on the M.E. IF they have somewhere else to get money to take care of their people.

 

Again, people looking at the little picture. This is a whole new world, made so by antiquated thought and radicals. It's about time some new moves were made to reshape global thinking. You can see where "more of the same" has taken us in the last 50 years.

[Opl]

How Trump rates Kim Jung Un as a leader :

 

Trump called the authoritarian leader a “madman playing around with nukes” and a “total nut job.”

“Even though it is a culture, and it’s a culture thing, he goes in, he takes over, he’s the boss. It’s incredible.”

 

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/gop-primaries/265353-trump-kim-jong-un-deserves-credit-for-taking-out-rivals