(LEAD) Lee says possible shift of USFK's military assets won't affect deterrence against N. Korea

▲ President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on March 10, 2026. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Lee-Cabinet meeting

(LEAD) Lee says possible shift of USFK's military assets won't affect deterrence against N. Korea

(ATTN: ADDS remarks, details)

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, March 10 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday that a potential relocation of military assets owned by the U.S. military stationed in South Korea will not affect the deterrence posture against North Korea.

Citing media reports that the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) might have recently shipped out some weapons, including an anti-missile defense system, Lee told a Cabinet meeting, "If you ask if our deterrence strategy against North Korea is severely affected (because of a possible shift of such assets), I can say absolutely not."

The remarks by Lee did not explicitly comment on the possible movement or repositioning of USFK's military assets.

However, South Korea has expressed its opposition against USFK's possible shift of its military assets, but it is a "stark reality" that South Korea's opinions would not be fully accepted, Lee said.

"Our government expects the USFK to fully contribute to stability and peace on the Korean Peninsula, which I believe it has done so far," Lee said.

"Depending on how the situation unfolds, however, the USFK may dispatch some air defense systems abroad in accordance with its own military needs. While we have expressed opposition, the reality is that we cannot fully push through our position."

Lee noted that South Korea's military spending ranks among the world's five largest and is equivalent to about 1.4 times North Korea's gross domestic product, highlighting what he described as a "significant gap" in military capabilities between the two Koreas.

He stressed that South Korea should take a leading role in its own defense to prepare for worst-case scenarios amid a shifting international security landscape.

"Just as we must routinely prepare for war even if the possibility is slim, there may come times when external support disappears due to changes in the international order. Even in such cases, we must fully build up our self-reliant defense capabilities so that we can defend ourselves on our own," he said.

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