The Moon Jae-in government’s recent halt of the deployment of US anti-missile assets has created a “trust issue” between the allies, a prominent Washington academic said Tuesday, warning the decision may send a wrong signal to North Korea and China.

Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, expressed discomfort over the stalled installment of four launchers of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery until a full environmental review is complete. While criticizing Beijing’s heated reaction toward the system, he took issue with Seoul’s unilateral decision. 

“The system was not built in response to the Chinese system. I don’t understand the logic of slowing down in the face of what North Korea is doing. I worry it could be misinterpreted by North Korea,” Haass said at a lecture hosted by the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies in Seoul.

“This is what South Korea should determine in consultation with the US.”

The suspension has reportedly led US President Donald Trump to react with “fury,” casting a shadow over a forthcoming summit between the two leaders. Then came the shocking death of Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old student who returned home last week after being imprisoned in the North for more than 16 months.

Haass, who advised on Trump during the campaign period, said Warmbier’s death would have an impact not only on American thinking on the reclusive country but also any future denuclearization talks with the Kim Jong-un regime.

“This is a reminder of the brutality of the North Korean regime. It is (the) most militarized society on the face of the Earth and it’s a reminder to the new generation of Americans about the nature of North Korea,” he said.

“This is not some big abstraction -- it is (a) real situation about a young man. … Any negotiation will not simply provide time and a cover for nuclear programs.”

With growing signs of policy discord, the two countries need to be “realistic” about the summit, where they could divulge differences on North Korea, a bilateral trade pact and historical tension with Japan, Haass said.

Concerns persist that the two presidents may struggle to narrow their differences, especially on North Korea, with Moon pursuing cross-border reconciliation and Trump pushing for a policy centering on “maximum pressure.”

“This will be the first of many meetings,” the scholar said. “This is a consultation and what allies do, and I hope it becomes more regular. The first meeting between democratic leaders may simply be to get to know each other better and get comfortable.”

While the use of military force should be “kept alive,” diplomacy remains a top priority in tackling the North’s nuclear program, he said, mentioning the need to press China with economic sanctions to play a greater role.

“We basically have to use military force with cost and risk coming of that, or try to create an environment for negotiations that can put a ceiling on the problem,” Haass added.

“Before we turn to other options, I’d like to fully explore that one.”

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com) and Jung Min-kyung (mkjung@heraldcorp.com)