S. Korea regrets transfer of USFK air defense assets to Middle East, Lee says

President Lee Jae Myung speaks at a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

The Korean government has expressed its opposition to the transfer of some U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) air defense weapons to the Middle East, President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday, but stressed that the move will not weaken the country’s deterrence against North Korea.

Speaking at the beginning of a Cabinet meeting in Cheong Wa Dae, Lee addressed the growing debate over reports that some U.S. air defense batteries stationed in Korea have been transferred abroad.

“We have expressed opposition to USFK transferring some air defense weapons according to its own military needs, but it is also the reality that we cannot fully enforce our position,” the president said.

Lee emphasized that the transfer will not significantly affect Korea’s ability to deter any potential aggression from North Korea.

“If you ask whether this creates serious obstacles for our deterrence strategy against North Korea, I can say with certainty that it does not,” he said.

He noted that South Korea’s defense spending ranks among the highest in the world, adding that some estimates place the country’s annual defense budget at roughly 1.4 times North Korea’s gross domestic product.

“According to objective assessments by international organizations, Korea’s military strength ranks around fifth in the world,” Lee said. “Objectively speaking, the gap between South Korea and North Korea is enormous.”

He added, “Of course, there is the special factor of North Korea’s nuclear weapons, but when it comes to conventional combat power and military capabilities, the difference is overwhelmingly in our favor.”

The official response follows significant heavy-lift activity observed recently at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. According to flight tracking data from Flightradar24, several U.S. Air Force C-5 and C-17 transport aircraft — some of which arrived at the facility in late February — departed in a series of flights earlier this month.

Source: Korea Times News