THAAD 'litmus test' for S. Korea-U.S. alliance: report

The potential deployment of a THAAD missile defense unit to South Korea has become a "litmus test" for how Seoul is aligned between Washington and Beijing, according to a U.S. congressional report.

The Congressional Research Service made the point in a report published earlier this month and titled, "Ballistic Missile Defense in the Asia-Pacific Region: Cooperation and Opposition," noting China's outspoken opposition to a THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) battery in the South.

"In one sense, the proposed THAAD deployment has become a litmus test for Seoul's alignment between Beijing and Washington. Some observers in South Korea are concerned that angering China in this dispute would have negative ramifications for ROK-China relations," the report said.

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