South Korea has suspended the deployment of an American anti-missile shield that was intended to guard against North Korean weapons but had caused a rift with China.
President Moon Jae-in will not withdraw two launchers and other equipment already deployed but “those that have yet to be deployed will have to wait”, a spokesman said.
The suspension creates uncertainty about the future of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, which the US started installing before Mr Moon, a liberal, was elected last month.
He had campaigned on a promise to review the system but many observers doubted that he would cancel it as Pyongyang increased the pace of its ballistic missile tests.
Late last month Mr Moon ordered an investigation into the “undisclosed” arrival of launchers in his country. His administration complained that the defence ministry in Seoul had not informed it about four launchers that had been imported in addition to the two that were already operational.
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The investigation found that the defence ministry had tried to minimise the system’s apparent size and scale, possibly to avoid environmental checks, the Yonhap news agency said.
The four extra launchers are being held at a US army base. Their deployment is now on hold until the completion of an environmental study — a process that may take more than a year, according to the president’s office. The government has also launched a task force to deal with THAAD issues.
The delay is another sign of differences between South Korea and its ally, the US, before a meeting between Mr Moon and President Trump this month. Their predecessors, Park Geun-hye and Barack Obama, agreed to roll out the “purely defensive system” to shoot down ballistic missiles in their final phase. China opposed THAAD, fearing that its powerful radar could reach into its territory.
Kang Kyung-wha, South Korea’s new foreign minister, said that Pyongyang’s nuclear programme should remain a top priority “as it directly threatens our survival”. Last night North Korea fired what appeared to be multiple land-to-ship missiles.
Yesterday Ms Kang told a confirmation hearing that she would respond sternly to the north’s provocations and co-ordinate security council resolutions while also seeking to resume talks.
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Pyongyang has spurned the new administration’s push to restart cultural exchanges. South Korea approved 15 requests by aid and religious groups for contact with North Korea, but Kim Jong-un’s regime demanded that Seoul drop support for UN sanctions as a condition for resuming exchanges.