Strategi Pertahanan Korea Selatan terhadap Ancaman Korea Utara: Studi Kasus Pengembangan Sistem THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense)

M. Tri Adam Giovana Putra

aktivisme: Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, Politik dan Sosial Indonesia
Vol. 2 No. 3 (2025): Juli: Aktivisme: Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, Politik dan Sosial Indonesia

This study explores South Korea’s strategic defense response to the increasing threat from North Korea by examining the development and deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. The research analyzes geoplotical context, the application of balance of threat theory, and the dual role of THAAD as a military and diplomatic tool. Using a qualitative case study approach, findins indicate that South Korea’s deployment of THAAD reflects a rational response to North Korea’s missile and nuclear threat, reinforced by allliance commitments with the United States. However, the deployment also triggered the internal resistence and diplomatic tension, particularly with China. This paper concludes that while THAAD enhances detterence, its geopolitical consequences require careful diplomatic management.