President Lee Jae Myung said Monday that while his government opposes the redeployment of some U.S. air defense systems stationed in Korea, it cannot fully prevent such moves when Washington deems them militarily necessary.
Lee's remarks effectively acknowledged the possibility that U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) assets could be transferred elsewhere. Until now, Korean and U.S. military authorities had maintained an ambiguous position on whether such redeployments were under consideration.
Reports in U.S. media suggest that parts of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery deployed in Seongju, North Gyeongsang, may already be moving to the Middle East.
Lee attempted to reassure the public by highlighting Korea's military strength. He noted that the country's armed forces rank fifth globally and that annual defense spending equals about 1.4 times North Korea's gross domestic product. He also cited the high morale and sense of responsibility among Korean troops, saying there was no reason for concern.
However, public anxiety stems less from North Korea's conventional forces than from its nuclear arsenal. On the same day Lee made his remarks, Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of the ruling Workers' Party of North Korea, issued a warning timed with the start of joint Korea-U.S. military exercises. She referred to "overwhelming special means," widely interpreted as a reference to nuclear weapons.
Air defense systems such as Patriot and THAAD are among the first assets that could be redeployed. THAAD, in particular, currently has no direct replacement in Korea. Given the already limited capabilities to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, any reduction of such defenses inevitably raises concern.
The possibility of redeploying U.S. forces stems from a 2006 agreement in which Seoul acknowledged Washington's need for "strategic flexibility." Under that arrangement, Korea accepted that U.S. forces stationed on the peninsula might be used elsewhere as part of broader U.S. military strategy.
At the time, the agreement was seen as a compromise intended to reduce the likelihood that Korea would be drawn into regional conflicts such as a potential Taiwan crisis. The same framework now limits Seoul's ability to block the movement of U.S. military assets.
With the Trump administration's second term emphasizing what it calls alliance modernization, redeployments of USFK capabilities may become more frequent.
The Korean government should work to ensure that any redeployed assets return promptly once their missions end, minimizing potential gaps in deterrence against North Korea. Efforts to strengthen Korea's own defense capabilities should also accelerate.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.