South Korea’s president objected to the United States’ possible removal of U.S. air defense systems from his country to the Middle East, though he noted it will not significantly hinder their ability to deter North Korea.

“It appears that there is controversy recently over U.S. Forces in Korea shipping some weapons, such as artillery batteries and air-defense weapons, out ​of the country,” President Lee Jae Myung said on Tuesday in a cabinet meeting where he expressed his opposition to it, according to Reuters, though he noted, it “does not hinder deterrence strategy towards North Korea.”