Rabat – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has said that a solid alliance with the United States underpins national security, responding to US President Donald Trump’s decision to scale back joint military exercises.
During a Cabinet meeting today, Lee stressed that a firm military alliance with Washington remains central to South Korea’s security, according to the Associated Press.
“National security will be further strengthened when the alliance is solid,” Lee stated, while emphasizing the parallel need for South Korea to expand its own defense capabilities. He also added that strengthening the country’s military would increase its value and importance as a US ally.
Lee’s office also said South Korea and the US are discussing practical and military contributions Seoul could make to support efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump ordered a substantial reduction in the annual joint military exercises between the two allies, criticizing the drills as costly and hostile toward North Korea, and linking the move to Seoul’s refusal to assist in US efforts targeting Iran.
Announced just before Monday’s annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises and apparently without consultations with Seoul, the move left many South Koreans baffled and fueled concerns over the reliability of Washington’s defense commitment.
In response, Park Chung-kwon, a spokesperson for the main conservative opposition People Power Party, said in a statement, “South Korea’s security bulwark is being shaken to its very foundations.”
At the same time, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry accused South Korea and the US of planning more provocative drills this year and warned that Pyongyang would respond with a stronger deterrent.
Lee’s presidential office, however, expressed hope that Trump’s friendly relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could lead to meaningful dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang and promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.
