[ad_1]
President Lee Jae Myung speaks throughout a gathering with senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap
President Lee Jae Myung mentioned Saturday reaching a self-reliant nationwide protection is the “most elementary of fundamentals” over a brand new U.S. protection technique that requires South Korea’s main function in its protection.
Lee wrote the message on his X account because the Pentagon mentioned in its Nationwide Protection Technique (NDS) that South Korea is able to taking “main” duty to discourage North Korea with “essential, however extra restricted” U.S. help.
“Within the midst of an unstable worldwide safety scenario, reaching self-reliant protection is probably the most fundamental of fundamentals,” Lee wrote.
He mentioned it will likely be inconceivable for South Korea to be unable to defend itself when its protection spending stands at 1.4 occasions bigger than North Korea’s gross home product (GDP) and it holds the world’s fifth-largest navy energy.
“A strong self-reliant protection and peace on the Korean Peninsula will allow sustainable financial progress,” Lee mentioned.
The 2026 NDS is consistent with U.S. President Donald Trump’s America First coverage that requires allies to do extra for their very own protection.
South Korea plans to extend its protection spending to three.5 p.c of GDP “as quickly as doable,” and it additionally seeks to attain a handover of wartime operational management from Washington to Seoul inside Lee’s five-year time period ending in 2030.
[ad_2]
