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Taiwan, Thaad and the South Korean dilemma
In rapid succession, the South Korean government has been tested on the increasingly tricky task of managing relations with the US and China
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A photo from Sept 8, 2017, shows the Thaad missile defence system at a golf course in Seongju, some 300km south of Seoul.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Jaemin Lee
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He should have met her. Should have discussed a variety of bilateral issues including semiconductors, North Korea, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and joint defence readiness. And, most importantly, should have shared their common desire for peace in the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific region. Instead, South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol chose to be out of town on vacation when United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Seoul earlier this month. Prodded by critics, he spoke to her over the phone. The presidential office underscored the length of the call - 40 minutes.
A protocol mishap was thrown into the mix. When Mrs Pelosi arrived at the Osan Air Base, nobody from the Korean side was there to greet her officially. Seoul explains it as a miscommunication between the Foreign Ministry and the office of the National Assembly Speaker, Mrs Pelosi's South Korean counterpart.
