Kathmandu. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Seoul has said it will not slow down its security posture amid reports that the United States may move some of its military equipment to South Korea due to the escalating war in the Middle East.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that the move would not affect its ability to deter threats from North Korea. South Korea’s main security partner, the United States, has a permanent presence in the country with about 28,500 troops. Along with these troops, a number of air and missile defense systems are also stationed in South Korea, which are intended to help deter a possible nuclear and ballistic missile attack by North Korea.

The Washington Post reported this week, citing US officials, that the US was preparing to move parts of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system from South Korea to the Middle East. It is believed that the military assets are being moved in view of the escalating tensions related to Iran and the state of war.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry has refused to directly confirm the report. “Even if some US military assets are redeployed overseas, there will be no weakness in North Korea’s deterrence in terms of overall military capabilities,” the ministry said in a statement to AFP.

“The United States Forces in Korea (USFK) still have sufficient military capabilities to contain the threat posed by North Korea,” the statement said. Seoul claims that even if there is a limited transfer of military equipment, there will be no major impact on security.

The THAAD missile defence system is an advanced system designed to intercept short, medium and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. It has the capability to destroy an attack missile by directly hitting it using ‘hit-to-kill’ technology. The system was installed in South Korea in 2017. At the time, China strongly opposed the move, expressing concern that the system would disturb the regional strategic balance.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said his government was not satisfied with reports of the transfer of US military assets. However, he acknowledged that the reality was different and Seoul’s decision-making capacity was limited.

On Tuesday, President Lee said the government was “unhappy” with the USF’s decision to withdraw some of its air defense weapons because of its own military needs. But he also said there was a harsh reality that South Korea could not fully implement all of its positions.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s state-run Yonhap news agency reported on a photograph taken last week and released on Tuesday. The images showed parts of the THAAD battery in Seongju county, about 220 km south of Seoul, removed or dismantled.

An official at the president’s office said it would not be appropriate to comment publicly on the redeployment of military assets. He said that caution should be exercised on the speculative news coming in the media as such a topic is very sensitive.

According to him, speculative reports based on militarily sensitive subjects can affect the country’s security interests. “There is also a risk that such news will unduly affect South Korea’s relations with major Middle Eastern countries,” he said.