President Lee: Removal of USFK Weapons Will Not Hinder Deterrence Against North Korea

According to The Financial News, President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea said at a State Council of South Korea meeting he chaired at Cheong Wa Dae (the Blue House) on the 10th, "It seems there is growing controversy over the recent move by United States Forces Korea (USFK) to remove some batteries and air-defense weapons from the country." He stressed, "If you ask whether (such removal) would seriously undermine our deterrence strategy against North Korea, I can say with full confidence that it would not." On the same day, The Washington Post (WP), citing two U.S. government officials, reported that some of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) batteries deployed in South Korea are being moved to the Middle East. The officials also said the military is drawing on stockpiles of MIM-104 Patriot interceptor missiles deployed in the Indo-Pacific and other regions to strengthen defenses against drone and ballistic missile attacks from the Islamic Republic of Iran.
At the State Council of South Korea meeting, President Lee said, "The government expects United States Forces Korea (USFK) to fully contribute to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and we believe it has done so up to now." At the same time, he noted, "We have expressed our opposition to USFK removing some air-defense weapons based on its own military needs, but the reality is that we cannot have our position fully accepted in every respect."
His remarks were interpreted as acknowledging that, in practical terms, it is difficult to prevent the United States from moving USFK air-defense assets to the Middle East in response to the situation there. However, President Lee strongly underlined that even if such removal takes place, it will not pose any problem for deterrence against North Korea.
President Lee said, "Objectively speaking, South Korea's level of military defense spending is very high by global standards. International organizations also rank our military capability fifth in the world, which shows how strong our national defense capability is." He argued that the removal of some USFK weapons would have only a limited impact on South Korea's overall defense posture.
He went on, "Our annual defense spending is 1.4 times higher than North Korea's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In objective terms, there is an enormous gap between us and North Korea." He added, "Of course, North Korea's nuclear weapons are a special factor, but when it comes to conventional combat power and military capability, it is clear that we are overwhelmingly superior to a degree that defies comparison."
President Lee then emphasized the importance of self-reliant defense. "In principle, national defense is something each nation must take responsibility for on its own. If you rely on someone else, there is always a possibility that such support could collapse," he said. "We must always prepare for the worst-case scenario, and that is equally true for defense and military spending."
He continued, "We are not preparing because war is about to break out immediately, but to be ready for any contingency that might occur. We must always consider what we would do if, in such a contingency, external support were not available," he said. "Just as we routinely prepare for a war whose probability is very low, there is always a chance that, depending on changes in the international order, external support could disappear, against our wishes and against our intentions. Even in such circumstances, we must be fully equipped with what is commonly called self-reliant defense capability so that we can defend ourselves on our own."
President Lee said, "Considering our level of defense spending, the development of South Korea's defense industry, our global military ranking, and the high morale and sense of responsibility of our service members, there is absolutely no reason to worry about the defense of the nation itself." He reiterated, "There is no need for any concern at all."
cjk@fnnews.com Choi Jong-geun, Seong Seok-woo Reporter