The U.S. forces command in South Korea says redeployment of United States Forces Korea (USFK) could occur only in the late 2010s after close consultations with South Korea.

The USFK said in a news release Thursday that redeployment of troops from South Korea to other parts of the world won't come until the USFK changes its deployment system for servicemembers from the current one-year tour of duty to a three-year tour.

The USFK stressed that South Korea’s security is and will be a key component of the USFK’s mission.

It also said there will be no immediate withdrawal of troops from South Korea after wartime operational command is transferred from Washington to Seoul in 2012.