Deployment of USFK Assets to 'War With Iran' Imminent? People Power Party Warns of 'Serious Impact on National Security'

According to Financial News, reports that United States Forces Korea (USFK) assets may be deployed to the war with Iran are prompting concerns within the conservative opposition bloc that national security could be at risk. However, the Lee Jae-myung administration is said not to have yet received any official position on the matter from the Donald Trump administration of the United States.
On the 7th, news emerged that part of USFK’s Patriot missile battery, a key component of its missile defense system, is expected to be sent soon to the war with Iran. This has heightened worries that U.S. military capabilities on the Korean Peninsula could be drawn down.
Regarding this, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun appeared before the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea on the 6th and stated, "We have been maintaining close communication between South Korea and the United States," but added, "It is difficult for me to confirm anything about how USFK assets are being operated." He went on to say, "Even in such circumstances, we are making it clear that the combined defense posture of the Republic of Korea and the United States will remain fully intact."
The People Power Party, however, criticized the government in a commentary issued by chief spokesperson Park Seong-hoon, saying, "This is not a simple matter of troop movements, but an issue that could affect the entire security structure of the Korean Peninsula. Nevertheless, the government’s response has been excessively complacent and ambiguous."
The party also pointed out that, beyond general statements that the military authorities of the two countries are in close consultation, there appears to be no substantive diplomatic coordination on what specific military offset measures will be taken.
It further argued that systems such as Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), Patriot missile batteries, and the Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC) are on the front line of defending against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)’s nuclear and missile threats. If any of these assets are removed, it said, it would inevitably place a significant burden on maintaining the readiness of South Korea’s air defense network.
In addition, the People Power Party claimed that it was belatedly revealed that more than 1,000 guided bomb kits belonging to USFK were shipped back to the contiguous United States in December last year.
The People Power Party warned, "This is a time when we must communicate and coordinate more closely than ever with the U.S. government, yet the Lee Jae-myung administration is trying to restore the September 19, 2018 Inter-Korean Military Agreement, which has already been nullified by the DPRK’s capricious behavior. At the same time, an unprecedented situation has unfolded in which the government is trading sharp public barbs with United States Forces Korea (USFK) over South Korea–United States joint military exercises, raising concerns that cracks are emerging in the Republic of Korea-United States Alliance (ROK-US Alliance)."

rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter