Former US Defense Secretary Carter, who decided on South Korea's THAAD deployment, passes away

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Seulgina Jo] Ashton Carter, the last Secretary of Defense under the Barack Obama administration in the United States, passed away suddenly on the 25th (local time) due to a heart problem. He was 68 years old.

According to CNN and other media, Carter's family confirmed in a statement that he passed away suddenly from a heart problem in Boston the previous night.

The late served as Secretary of Defense from February 2015 until January 2017, when the Donald Trump administration took office. During this period, he was credited with contributing to the U.S. military's involvement and deployment in Afghanistan, as well as responding to the spread of the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and other areas.

Additionally, in 2015, he opened all military positions, including combat roles, to women, and in 2016, he removed the ban on transgender individuals serving in the military. At the time, he described this as a "matter of principle." He also authored 11 books and more than 100 articles covering topics from physics and technology to national security. After being nominated as Secretary, he was overwhelmingly confirmed by the Senate with 93 votes in favor and 5 against.

Having experience visiting North Korea, he assessed North Korea's nuclear weapons and missiles as a serious threat and during his confirmation hearing, he announced plans to strengthen the missile defense (MD) system necessary for homeland defense. In July 2016, he decided with South Korea to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system on the Korean Peninsula. After his retirement, in April 2017, he also argued that the option of a preemptive strike against North Korea should not be ruled out.

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