US affirms South Korea defence after report on moving weaponry to Iran
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US army soldiers taking part in a US-South Korea joint river-crossing exercise on March 20.
PHOTO: REUTERS
SEOUL – The US military said it remained committed to defending South Korea against the nuclear-armed North after local media reported that Washington was considering redeploying regional US military assets to the Middle East as conflict with Iran spirals.
United States Forces Korea – which oversees the US military presence on the Korean Peninsula – told Bloomberg News that it remains focused on maintaining a strong, ready and combat-credible force posture on the Korean Peninsula and is firmly committed to defending South Korea.
The comment comes after Korean-language newspaper the DongA Ilbo reported on March 5 that Seoul and Washington were in consultations regarding US munitions requirements and the possible redeployment of US Forces Korea assets to the Middle East, citing an unidentified South Korean government official.
The US stations around 27,000 soldiers in South Korea and has multiple air defence systems located on the peninsula, including Patriot batteries and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system. South Korea remains technically at war with the North, as the 1950 to 1953 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.
The US expanded its military offensive against Iran over the weekend, with hostilities showing no sign of abating on March 5 as Tehran continued to launch retaliatory strikes across the Middle East, including against Israel and Gulf partners. The US sank an Iranian warship in international waters, marking the first time since World War II that an American submarine has attacked a surface vessel.
If the Middle East conflict is prolonged, key USFK assets, including ATACMS tactical surface-to-surface missiles, could be dispatched to the Middle East to help make up for potential shortages of US munitions, the DongA Ilbo report said.
In 2025, US Patriot missile defence batteries stationed in South Korea were temporarily deployed to the Middle East for “strategic flexibility”, the Yonhap news agency reported at the time, before being returned to the Korean Peninsula.
A USFK official said that for operational security reasons, USFK would not comment on the movement, relocation, or potential repositioning of specific military capabilities or assets.
South Korea’s Defence Ministry told Bloomberg News that it was not appropriate for Seoul to comment on the operational deployment of US Forces Korea.
“Given the scale of Iran’s missile and drone attacks on US partners and positions across the Middle East, it is reasonable to plan temporary shifts of air-defence assets if necessary,” Dr Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul told Bloomberg News.
“But such moves should be closely coordinated with Seoul to avoid misunderstanding about the strength of the alliance and its ability to deter North Korea.”
Although South Korea and the US are close allies, President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged countries to reduce their reliance on Washington for security. A defence strategy report released earlier in 2026 signalled a scaling back of US military support aimed at deterring Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.
Earlier on March 6, North Korean state media reported that Kim Jong Un had overseen the test-firing of cruise missiles from a new warship. Earlier this week he oversaw sniper drills.
It comes days after North Korea condemned Israel’s military attack on Iran with US military support as a “shameless” and illegal act of aggression. Bloomberg
