Analysts believe that the South Korean government ignored public opinion and repeatedly expressed its position on the issue of deploying "Sade", which was "besieged" by the people and the opposition party. How to bridge the social division caused by "Sade" and get rid of the diplomatic dilemma is a severe test facing the Korean government.
Deployment causes problems.
After fierce clashes with anti-Sadr people all night, the US and South Korean military transported the remaining four missile launchers and related materials of Sadr's anti-missile system to the US military "Sade" base in Xingzhou, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea on the morning of the 7th.
In order to reassure people, South Korean President Moon Jae in issued an urgent statement on the evening of the 8th, arguing that the deployment was "temporary" according to the seriousness and urgency of the security situation, and the final deployment of the "Sade" system would be decided after the completion of the environmental impact assessment.
South Korea's "Korean National Daily" published an editorial criticizing that the statement of "temporary" deployment is only a kind of "political sophistry". In fact, the deployment of the "Sade" system has been completed, and the government's statement is just an excuse.
Some analysts believe that although the EIA process of the deployment site claimed to be launched is rigorous and scientific, it is hard not to be considered as "going through the motions", and the purpose is only to give "Sade" a high-sounding legal identity.
Since the Moon Jae in administration took office four months ago, it has changed its position several times on the deployment of "Sade" and has been criticized. When Moon Jae in took office, he ordered a thorough investigation into the secret delivery of the "Sade" launcher to South Korea. Shortly thereafter, it began to forcibly promote the deployment of "Sade". On July 28th, South Korea's Ministry of National Defense announced that it would conduct an environmental assessment at the deployment site and decide whether to deploy according to the assessment results. However, just one day later, South Moon Jae in announced that it would "temporarily" deploy the remaining four "Sade" launch vehicles to deal with the North Korean missile threat, which caused an uproar.
The differences between political parties have intensified.
According to the latest poll data of South Korean polling agency "Real Gauge", Moon Jae in's support rate fell below 70% for the first time since taking office. Analysts believe that if the Moon Jae in administration fails to bridge the domestic social division, its support rate may further decline and shake its ruling foundation.
During park geun-hye's administration, the ruling Democratic Party repeatedly criticized the decision to deploy the "Sade" system, and a large part of its supporters held a negative position on the deployment of "Sade". This time, the South Korean government was bent on forcibly completing the deployment of "Sade", which further tore public opinion to some extent.
At the anti-Sadr protests held in front of Cheongwadae on the 8th, people's deputies criticized Moon Jae in for "betraying" its supporters. They said that Moon Jae in promised to re-examine the deployment decision of "Sade" during the election campaign, and stressed at the beginning of his election that necessary procedures should be completed before deployment, but now he has ordered the continued deployment without consulting the public and Congress, and his actions are no different from those of the previous government.
The opposition Justice Party sharply criticized the "temporary" deployment, saying that after the new government took office, it completely gave up the three major commitments of conducting a truth investigation on the "Sade" deployment, submitting it to the National Assembly for discussion and conducting an environmental assessment. The opposition National Party criticized Moon Jae in's "temporary" deployment statement, which will only continue to tear public opinion.
The conservative camp also criticized the Moon Jae in administration for reneging on the issue of "Sade" and took the opportunity to attack the wavering security policy of the Moon Jae in administration.
The diplomatic deadlock is difficult to solve.
Analysts pointed out that after Moon Jae in took office, the diplomatic situation around South Korea was complicated, and its diplomatic security policy attracted much attention. However, from the slogan of "four strong diplomacy" at the beginning of taking office to the recent one-sided policy toward the United States; From advocating dialogue to improving relations between the ROK and the DPRK to demanding the most severe sanctions to cut off the supply of crude oil to the DPRK; South Moon Jae in's diplomatic security policy is as vacillating as its position on the issue of "Sade", even inconsistent.
People's dissatisfaction with the current situation of diplomatic security has also become a major reason for the decline of Moon Jae in's support rate.
Moon Jae in claimed that the escalating North Korean nuclear missile threat aggravated the severe security situation in South Korea, so the deployment of "Sade" was the best measure that the South Korean government could take at this stage.
The editorial pointed out that the deployment of "Sade" will not help the South Korean government solve the North Korean nuclear issue, but will also be the beginning of trouble. The deployment of "Sade" is the first important diplomatic security decision made by Moon Jae in since he took office, and it is also a wrong decision, which will make it difficult to ease the relations between South Korea and China in the short term.