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South Korea says cannot stop US from weapons redeployment
By Gawon Bae and Helen Regan
South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung delivers his speech during an event in Seoul, South Korea, on March 1.
Yonhap/Reuters
South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung has said his country cannot stop the United States from redeploying some of its weapons out of the country, but said such a move would not impact deterrence against North Korea.
His comments come after reports in local media suggested US forces were moving Patriot missile systems to the US Osan Air base near Pyeongtaek for possible shipping to the Middle East.
“It appears that there is a controversy recently over US Forces in Korea (USFK) shipping some batteries or air defense weapons out of the country,” Lee said at Tuesday’s Cabinet Meeting, without confirming the reported shipments.
“We are voicing our opposition to the USFK shipping some of its air defense weapons according to their military needs as the situation unfolds, but it is also a clear reality that we cannot fully carry through our opinion,” Lee added.
When asked about the reports, USFK said Friday that it does “not comment on the movement, relocation, or potential repositioning of specific military capabilities or assets” but said the US “remains firmly committed” to South Korea’s defense.
South Korea’s defense ministry said, “it is not appropriate for our government to comment on force employment of the USFK.”
Camp Humphries: South Korea is home to the US military’s largest overseas base and hosts Patriot batteries and a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. These systems would be crucial to defend against any missile attack by North Korea on its neighbor.
