Almost ten years have passed since Songju village in South Korea became a key site for the country's ability to deter aggression from the North. On a spring morning, disguised trucks carrying the THAAD missile defense system entered the village despite local protests, as residents feared the deployment of the American system would make them targets of North Korean ballistic missiles. The South Korean government, backed by Washington, insisted that the placement of THAAD was the most effective way to detect and destroy North Korean missiles before they threatened the South and the 28,500 American troops stationed there.

The deployment also angered China and Russia, who claimed that the powerful radar of the system could threaten their security. Now, nine years later, reports have emerged that the US is transferring parts of the system, along with other military equipment, from South Korea to assist in its fight against Iran. American media has reported that the Pentagon is moving THAAD components to the Middle East, citing two official sources. This action raises doubts about Trump’s security commitment to South Korea, which is America's most important ally in East Asia alongside Japan, amidst warnings that the nuclear-armed North could attempt to increase pressure on its southern neighbor.