Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung stated on Saturday that achieving a self-reliant national defense is the "most basic of basics," in light of a new U.S. defense strategy that emphasizes South Korea's primary role in its own defense. Lee expressed this sentiment through a message on his X account following the Pentagon's release of its National Defense Strategy (NDS), which highlighted South Korea's capacity to take "primary" responsibility in deterring North Korea, albeit with "critical, but more limited" U.S. support.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee underscored the necessity of self-reliant defense amid an unstable international security environment. He noted the incongruity of South Korea being unable to defend itself when its defense budget is 1.4 times the size of North Korea's GDP, and it ranks as the world's fifth-largest military power. Lee stated, "A robust self-reliant defense and peace on the Korean Peninsula will enable sustainable economic growth."

The 2026 NDS aligns with former U.S. President Donald Trump's America First policy, which urges allies to assume greater responsibility for their own defense. In response, South Korea plans to boost its defense spending to 3.5 percent of GDP "as soon as possible." Additionally, the nation aims to achieve a handover of wartime operational control from Washington to Seoul within Lee's five-year term, concluding in 2030.