South Korea’s main opposition party is grappling with internal division on its approach to the government’s decision to deploy U.S. missile defense system, showing a significant crevice in the center-left party‘s security platform.

The Minjoo Party of Korea lawmakers on Tuesday failed to reach a consensus in a party meeting over whether to endorse the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system. The attendants instead agreed to build an entity to study the issue and seek parliamentary measure to address any potential diplomatic fallout. 
The party leadership has refrained from publicly opposing the deployment, directing its criticism toward the government’s lack of communication during the negotiation process. The third-biggest People’s Party and minor Justice Party, meanwhile, voiced their opposition toward THAAD.

“We have shared the view that the (THAAD) issue is a matter of national interest, not a matter of political ideology and party’s identity,” The Minjoo Party’s floor spokesperson Rep. Ki Dong-min said in a briefing after the meeting.

During the meeting that lasted over an hour, some 60 lawmakers debated whether the party should publicly oppose the missile system. The spokesperson said that the majority of the attendants urged the leadership to take the opposition as a party platform.

Including Rep. Shim Jae-kwon, the National Assembly’s chairperson of Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, the opposition camps argued that THAAD is not capable enough to fully prevent North Korea’s missile and nuclear threat.

The opposing lawmakers stressed that the measure would incur diplomatic backlash from China and Russia. Some allegedly voiced concerns that China, Korea’s top trade partner, would take retaliatory measures on trade against Seoul.

Some first-term moderate lawmakers, on the other hand, struck a different tone during the meeting. Including the first-term lawmaker Rep. Rhee Cheol-hee, they recommended the leadership to keep a neutral stance toward sensitive security issue. 

“(The moderate lawmakers) said that the party should consider the relationship with the U.S. and the party’s attempt to become a trustworthy political force capable of steering the nation. They noted that the black-and-white approach to the issue does not serve in the interest of the people,” the spokesman said.

The growing schism among the ranks-and-file lawmakers followed the division over the security issue between incumbent party chairman Rep. Kim Chong-in and his looming rivals to replace his post. The opposition party will select a new leader on Aug. 27 and Kim is expected not to run for the job.

In a media interview with a local daily on Tuesday, the fifth-term lawmaker said that the THAAD debate goes beyond a “yes or no argument” and the political party should “respect” the opinions of the government officials dealing with national security.

His comment was seen to indicate that the main opposition party should avoid its attempt to reverse the already agreed-upon security policy. Since taking power as an interim leader this January, the 76-year-old politician had adopted a hawkish stance on security issues.

The Minjoo Party’s presumptive candidates for leadership, such as Rep. Song Young-gil, Choo Mi-ae and Kim Boo-kyum, have made clear that they oppose the THAAD deployment. They urged the government to reconsider the plan to deploy the missile system.

By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)