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Concerns over possible USFK redeployment to Middle East

Published: 04 Mar. 2026, 00:00

Military vehicles are seen parked at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi on July 16, 2025. [NEWS1]

If the conflict between the United States and Israel against Iran drags on, the possibility is being raised that equipment and personnel from United States Forces Korea (USFK) could be redeployed to the Middle East on a rotational basis.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that the war with Iran is expected to last four to five weeks but that U.S. forces have the capacity to sustain operations beyond that. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine also noted that achieving military objectives would take time and that efforts would be made to minimize casualties.

Security experts have pointed out that during last year’s so-called “12-day war” with Iran, some Patriot missile batteries stationed in Korea were temporarily redeployed to the Middle East. They say that similar air defense assets, including Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems as well as MQ-9 Reaper drones, could again be sent.

In the current conflict, U.S. forces reportedly failed to intercept some Iranian missile and drone retaliatory attacks, resulting in casualties. As Iran has expanded its strikes to U.S. bases across the Middle East and energy facilities in Gulf states, demand for air defense systems has increased.

Elbridge Colby, U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, spoke by phone with Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Monday to share updates on the Middle East situation. It is possible that the issue of redeploying USFK assets was discussed. An official from the presidential office did not deny that consultations between Seoul and Washington are underway.

Any redeployment of USFK equipment and troops would inevitably raise concerns about weakening operational readiness against North Korea. The Trump administration has made clear its intention to expand the strategic flexibility of USFK under the banner of “alliance modernization,” fueling worries that such redeployments could become more frequent.

Although the Patriot batteries were reportedly returned to Korea after the previous 12-day conflict, a failure to redeploy assets back to the peninsula would in effect amount to a reduction of U.S. forces here. The timing is sensitive. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has recently threatened “complete destruction,” and combined Korea-U. S. field training exercises have been scaled down. Further reductions in USFK capabilities would add to security concerns.

The government should engage in close coordination with Washington before any redeployment to minimize gaps in USFK capabilities. At the same time, it must accelerate efforts to strengthen its own deterrence posture, including advancing the Korea Air and Missile Defense system and the broader three-axis defense framework, backed by a planned increase in defense spending through 2035.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.