The United States has begun moving parts of its THAAD missile defense battery and Patriot air defense systems out of South Korea, according to reports. Yonhap photos show the equipment being dismantled at the Seongju base, about 220 kilometers south of Seoul.

The Washington Post first reported the move, citing two U.S. defense officials. The systems are being redeployed to the Middle East, where the U.S. is fighting a war against Iran. Defense analysts say the military has burned through large stocks of interceptors and needs to reinforce defenses around its bases.

President Lee Jae-myung said South Korea opposes the redeployment but cannot overrule Washington. He insisted the country's deterrence against North Korea remains intact, pointing to its own eight Patriot batteries, domestic KM-SAM systems, and Aegis-equipped warships.

The U.S. stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea and installed the THAAD system there in 2017. A similar redeployment of two Patriot batteries happened in the summer of 2025 after an agreement with Seoul. This time, South Korean officials say there was no such agreement.

The shift highlights the strain on U.S. air defenses as the conflict in the Middle East drags on.