A launch pad facing skyward at the US military's THAAD base in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, on March 5, 2025. Photo: VCG

Just over 10 days after Middle East tensions flared, the Pentagon is reportedly moving parts of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system from South Korea to the region, due to the intensifying war in Iran. A Chinese military affairs expert said that this move lays bare the fact that the system previously deployed in the Middle East has become so ineffective that it must be redeployed from the other region. These assets cannot adequately secure US bases, let alone defend its allies, the expert added.

This remark follows a Washington Post report, citing two officials, saying that the Pentagon is moving parts of a THAAD system from South Korea to the Middle East, as the US burned through $5.6 billion worth of munitions during the first two days of its military assault on Iran.

The reason for this redeployment is that the THAAD units deployed in the Middle East, especially radar systems, have been attacked and suffered serious combat losses, Song Zhongping, a military affairs expert, told the Global Times. The THAAD is designed not only to intercept ballistic missiles but also to provide critical early warning for Israel and US forces, and relocating such system from South Korea to the Middle East is intended to strengthen this early warning capability.

This also reveals that the THAAD system in the Middle East has limited effectiveness, Song added. "If such weapons cannot even properly protect US military bases in the Middle East, they can hardly be relied on to defend its allies," the expert noted.

The move, reported this week, has triggered doubts over US' security commitment to South Korea - the US' most important East Asian ally along with Japan, The Guardian reported on Wednesday. Why, critics are asking, did South Korea invest so much political capital in a defense system that could one day be removed?

On Tuesday, South Korean President Lee, presiding over a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, stated, "While we have expressed opposition to the US Forces Korea relocating some of their air defense weapons according to their own military needs, it is an undeniable reality that our stance cannot be fully implemented," South Korean media The Chosun Daily reported on Wednesday.

Marking the first official acknowledgment by the president regarding the relocation of US Forces Korea's air defense assets due to the Middle East situation, Lee emphasized that "External support can disappear at any time due to changes in the international order," adding, "We must faithfully build our self-reliant national defense capabilities."

During the meeting, Lee also noted that South Korea's defense spending ranks among the highest in the world, The Korea Times reported.

As reports continue about the ongoing relocation of various US Forces Korea equipment, there is a spreading atmosphere of security anxiety, The Chosun Daily reported, citing a Cheong Wa Dae official. The official added that the president's remarks were intended to reassure the public against the impacts of unfounded anxiety on both security and the domestic economy.

An editorial from Korea JoongAng Daily said on Wednesday that with the current US government emphasizing what it calls alliance modernization, redeployments of USFK capabilities may become more frequent. 

When asked to comment on the matter and if China opposes the US returning those weapons to South Korea in the future, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday that "We noted relevant reports. China's opposition to the US deployment of THAAD anti-missile system in the ROK remains unchanged."