Washington:<Text>

President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump will discuss efforts for "alliance modernization" during their high-stakes summit at the White House early next week, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Friday. The modernization aims to bolster the joint defense posture between Seoul and Washington.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee and Trump are set to have their first in-person meeting since Lee took office in June. Washington is pushing to adjust the alliance with Seoul under the name of "modernization" as it focuses on deterring an increasingly assertive China.

"Our envisioned alliance modernization is aimed at making our security stronger and further reinforcing the combined defense posture of South Korea and the United States," Wi said. Modernizing the alliance with the U.S. is "one of the goals" for the summit between Lee and Trump on August 25, Wi added.

"It is necessary to modernize the alliance in a way that serves our national interest amid growing regional instability caused by North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats and the war in Ukraine," he stated.