South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said on Tuesday, March 10, that South Korea could not prevent the U.S. military from redeploying some of its weapons stationed in South Korea.

The context of Lee Jae-myung's remarks is the tense situation in the Middle East, with the United States "taking from the east to reinforce the west."

Recently, the conflict between the U.S. and Iran has escalated, with Iran claiming to have destroyed several U.S. "THAAD" radars in the Middle East. In order to replenish supplies and cope with the prolonged conflict, it has been reported that the U.S. plans to transfer some of the THAAD and Patriot air defense systems stationed in South Korea to the Middle East. South Korean media found that large transport planes have frequently taken off and landed at Osan Air Base, which corroborates the signs of movement.

Lee Jae-myung's comments indeed reveal the "harsh reality" of South Korea within the U.S.-South Korea alliance: facing the U.S. military's deployment based on its global strategic needs, South Korea, as an ally, lacks practical means to stop it even if it objects.

The meaning Lee Jae-myung wants to convey is

acknowledging that although South Korea opposes it, the U.S. military acts based on its own needs, and South Korea's opinion "will not be fully adopted" is a harsh reality.

Emphasizing that this move will not significantly affect the deterrence against North Korea, stating that South Korea's conventional military forces have a "decisive advantage" over North Korea. The emphasis is on guiding domestic public opinion and reassuring the people.

Proposing that "national defense must be responsible by itself," warning that if one relies too much, external support may collapse due to changes in the international order.

This U.S. move highlights the view that "America first, Middle East interests are prioritized," causing concerns among South Korea about being drawn into conflicts unrelated to the Korean Peninsula.

South Korean experts believe that this move may weaken the deterrent effect against China, Russia, and North Korea, and even lead to misjudgment by North Korea, resulting in low-level provocations.

This deployment reveals the subordinate nature of the alliance. Although Lee Jae-myung emphasizes self-reliance in national defense, in the short term, South Korea still finds it difficult to completely detach from the U.S. framework in terms of security.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1859278180240396/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.