Seoul: The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) remains focused on ensuring a "combat-credible" force posture in South Korea, a U.S. defense official stated, following a report that parts of a critical missile defense system are being moved from South Korea to the Middle East.
According to Yonhap News Agency, The Washington Post cited two officials in reporting the movement of components of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system stationed in South Korea. This move has raised concerns over a potential weakening of deterrence against North Korea amid the ongoing U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iran.
"For operational security reasons we do not comment on the movement of specific military capabilities or assets," the official said in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency. "United States Forces Korea remains focused on maintaining a combat-credible force posture on the Korean Peninsula."
As the U.S. and Israeli military strikes continue, there is growing speculation that the Pentagon might consider redeploying some USFK assets to the Middle East. This includes systems such as the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 and the Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS.