White House press secretary Josh Earnest confirmed Monday that the U.S. has opened the door to providing South Korea with a ballistic missile defense system, a move that could dramatically shift North Asia’s security dynamic.
After North Korea’s Kim Jong-un’s weekend launch of a long-range rocket, Earnest said the U.S. is discussing parking a missile-defense system know as Thaad in South Korea.
“What we see is despite unprecedented international isolation, North Korea continues to engage in very provocative behavior,” he said. “… This is a threat that our South Korean allies are understandably concerned about.”
“That’s why we have begun formal consultations with them in locating additional equipment that can be used to protect that country from ballistic missiles from North Korea,” he added.
Earnest said North Korea’s launch of a long-range rocket would likely come up when President Obama meets with Asian leaders at an economic conference this week.
He also insisted that China doesn’t benefit from the destabilizing behavior of North Korea and said Beijing shares the international community’s deep concerns about Pyongyang’s behavior.
China, Earnest said, finds the situation in North Korea “untenable” and has engaged with the Obama administration “about the best way to respond.”
