The U.S. stated Monday that there is “absolutely no connection” between the ongoing international move to place strong sanctions on North Korea and its consultation with South Korea for deployment of its advanced missile defense system here.

The statement echoed the Seoul government in saying that stationing the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system on the peninsula to counter North Korean threats was an issue of security, and is not related to the recent Washington-Beijing cooperation in pushing for a new package of sanctions on Pyongyang.

“There has, in the wake of the most recent provocations by the North, been an agreement to begin consultations with South Korea about the potential efficacy of such a deployment. But no decisions have been made one way or another. So physically, just in a tangible sense, there could be no quid pro quo (with talks with China over sanctions against the North),” U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby was quoted as saying by local media.

South Korea and the U.S. were to officially announce the launch of the joint working group on THAAD talks -- initiated by Pyongyang‘s nuclear test on Jan. 6 and launch of a long-range rocket on Feb. 7 -- last week. But it was abruptly delayed soon after China, the strongest opponent of deploying THAAD in South Korea, started talks with the U.S. over the new U.N. Security Council resolution to include sanctions against North Korea.

The U.S. Pacific Commander Harry Harris also stated last week that the Seoul-Washington consultation on THAAD does not necessarily equal a decision to actually deploy the system. The statement, coupled with the timing of the THAAD talks‘ delay, sparked speculation that the THAAD plan may be scrapped in exchange for China’s endorsement of the resolution.

Seoul’s Defense Ministry attempted to downplay the rumors by stating Monday that the allies still view THAAD as necessary for defending the country and U.S. citizens here.

With the nod from Beijing, adopting the new sanctions appeared to be smooth sailing before it bumped into a little-expected snag last week as Russia requested more time to review the text. It remains the sole member of the 15-member council that has yet to endorse it.

While initially expected to adopt the resolution as early as Friday, it is now speculated to be adopted no earlier than Wednesday, with the possibility of further delays remaining should Moscow demand changes to the text.

In a bid to kick-start the vote on the resolution, the U.S. Secretary of State spoke twice over the weekend with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, during which the Russian diplomat stressed that the sanctions should not inflict damage upon legitimate ties by foreign partners or deteriorate the humanitarian situation in the communist country.

U.S. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is slated to meet Lavrov in Geneva on Tuesday to discuss the Syrian conflict, where he is also expected to discuss the issue of North Korean sanctions.

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)