THAAD system not moved from South Korea, US confirm

The United States has not moved a key missile defence system out of South Korea, a US military official said on Tuesday, following reports that Washington was shifting parts of it to the Middle East.

In March 2026, the Washington Post reported that the United States was moving parts of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system out of South Korea for use in its war with Iran.

The report caused disquiet in South Korea, where the system is a pillar of national defence against nuclear-armed North Korea.

The commander of the US forces in South Korea said that Washington had not moved any THAAD systems out of the country.

“THAAD remains on the peninsula currently,” Xavier Brunson mentioned to a US Senate committee hearing in Washington.

“We are sending munitions forward to the Middle East, and those are sitting right now waiting to move,” Brunson said without providing further details.

THAAD is designed to intercept short, medium and intermediate-range ballistic missiles using hit-to-kill technology.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung had said that Seoul was unhappy with its reported redeployment but acknowledged that there was little the government could do about it.

Seoul’s defence ministry said that it could deter threats from North Korea, even if the United States relocated some of its military assets.

The United States stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea, and the THAAD system was installed in South Korea in 2017.

It sparked strong protests from nearby China, which viewed the system as a threat to its national security.

North Korea is showing a grave increase in its ability to produce atomic weapons, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog said during a visit to Seoul in April.