Washington: President Lee Jae Myung said Monday that South Korea will increase defense spending as part of efforts to play a more "leading" role in bolstering its security posture on the Korean Peninsula. Lee made the remarks at a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, following his first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee emphasized that South Korea will enhance its defense budget to acquire cutting-edge technologies and assets, significantly strengthening the capabilities of the Korean military. This commitment arises amidst growing pressure from Washington for Seoul to increase its defense spending and share more of the burden for the 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea. The Trump administration has been advocating for Asian allies to raise defense spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), aligning with commitments by members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
South Korea's current defense budget stands at approximately 61.2 trillion won (US$44.2 billion), equivalent to 2.32 percent of GDP, as reported by Seoul's defense ministry. During Monday's summit, Lee and Trump discussed security issues, including modernizing the decades-old alliance, emphasizing that Washington's defense commitment to Seoul and their joint defense posture remain "unwavering and ironclad."
The two leaders also pledged to collaborate closely to "establish peace and achieve denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula." Lee reiterated that obligations under the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) must be strictly observed, affirming South Korea's commitment to the treaty as a non-nuclear-weapon state. In contrast, North Korea unilaterally withdrew from the treaty in 2003.
Under his "pragmatic" diplomacy focused on national interest, Lee vowed to work with the U.S. to respond firmly to North Korea's provocations while making diplomatic efforts to resume dialogue with Pyongyang. Addressing questions about South Korea's approach of relying on the U.S. for security while seeking economic benefits from China, Lee stated that Korea can "no longer maintain the same approach as in the past," indicating a shift towards aligning more closely with U.S. policy directions.