Tony Blinken is set to start a three country tour this week of South Korea, China and Japan

A senior official in the administration of US President Barack Obama suggested that the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system could be deployed on the Korean peninsula.

On Feb. 6, US Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken fielded questions via his Twitter account (@ABlinken) before departing on a trip to South Korea, China, and Japan. When asked what he thought about China’s opposition to the deployment of THAAD in South Korea, he said, “Missile defense on Peninsula, including possibly THAAD, [is] directed against DPRK: the greatest source of regional instability.”

While Blinken’s remark was made to emphasize the fact that the missile defense system on the Korean peninsula is targeting North Korea, not China, it also hints at the possibility that THAAD could be included in this system.

Sources say that the Obama administration has been pushing to deploy THAAD on the Korean peninsula, but the US and South Korean governments have officially denied that they are discussing the issue.

During a recent meeting in Seoul between the Chinese and South Korean defense ministers, Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan reportedly expressed his concern about the possible deployment of THAAD on the Korean peninsula.

On Feb. 9 and 10, Blinken will visit Seoul to discuss US policy toward North Korea as well as issues affecting the US-ROK alliance. He is then planning to visit Beijing and Tokyo.

Along with White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, Blinken is regarded as one of Obama‘s closest aides in the areas of foreign policy and security.

　

By Park Hyun, Washington correspondent

　

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]