Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Moon Jae-in on Tuesday pressed home his unexpected advantage on the issue of a US missile defense system.

Speaking on the radio, Moon reiterated that the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense should be left to the next president, who will be elected on May 9.

“Deployment of THAAD is not over. (The issue) should be considered and decided anew by the next administration. The process should involve diplomatic efforts, and be subjected to ratification by the National Assembly,” Moon said.


Moon did not miss the opportunity to criticize the Park Geun-hye administration and the conservatives, saying that in their hurry to deploy the system they have allowed the US to make unilateral moves.

“(The next administration’s position on the issue) should not be decided at the current stage, whether THAAD deployment must go ahead, or to oppose or to retract the deployment.”

Moon added that THAAD was a defense against North Korea’s nuclear threat, but that going beyond defensive measures to the denuclearization of North Korea was Seoul and Washington’s ultimate objective.

Moon’s often criticized on-the-fence stance on THAAD has turned into an advantage almost overnight, following unexpected developments led by the US.

A THAAD battery was moved to Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in the early hours of April 26, inciting protests from local residents and those opposing its deployment. On Friday, US President Donald Trump added fuel to the fire, saying that Seoul should pay $1 billion to cover THAAD.

The developments appear to have tilted the scales, pushing more voters to agree with Moon’s refusal to take a firm position.

A recent poll conducted by Research and Research, however, showed that nearly two-thirds of the public felt that the next administration should renegotiate the THAAD deployment or its costs with the US.

In contrast, a Gallup Korea poll conducted in mid-January showed 51 percent of the country was in favor of the deployment of the THAAD battery. Last summer, the figure stood at about 56 percent.

For now, Moon’s stance -- criticized as ambiguous by both sides of the ideological spectrum -- appears to have worked in his favor, countering even the decades-old “north wind” strategy.

The north wind strategy is a longtime favorite of Korean conservatives in attacking the left. The execution of the strategy begins with the right focusing on defense or North Korea-related issues. Each time, the attacks invariably end with the accusation that past progressive administrations effectively bankrolled Pyongyang’s nuclear program.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)