In response to what it said was China's trade retaliation for the Republic of Korea's deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system, the policy committee of the ruling Liberty Korea Party is considering filing a complaint to the World Trade Organization.

"We will actively consider whether China's action is in violation of the South Korea-China free trade deal, while stepping up efforts to minimize damage on South Korean industries," said Lee Hyun-jae, chairman of the committee.

The ROK's decision to deploy THAAD has hurt its economic and trade relations with China. It is impractical for the ROK government to be a cat's paw of the United States on the one hand, while on the other hand, trying to classify its dispute with China as purely economic and trade friction, and expect Chinese people to swallow the bitter pill of the worsening regional situation.