“We must speed up the introduction of AI and drone technologies and move faster to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, a key strategic asset for future defense capabilities,” Lee said during a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae.
Lee said South Korea must hurry its transition into a future-oriented, advanced military.
His remarks came as the Navy recently submitted a formal request to the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the acquisition of Korean nuclear-powered submarines. The request marks the first step in the country’s weapons acquisition process, under which the military formally lays out operational requirements, concepts of operation, the number of units needed and the timing of deployment for a new weapons system.
“South Korea’s defense capabilities currently rank fifth in the world, and its annual defense spending far exceeds North Korea’s annual gross domestic product,” Lee said. “We already have sufficient capability to defend ourselves, but we must further strengthen our defense power in the face of the harsh international reality of self-reliance and survival of the fittest.”
Lee also called for greater national efforts to foster the country’s defense industry by continuously expanding research and development budgets, localizing key components and strengthening public-private cooperation.
“Winning a war is important, but efforts to build peace so that war does not break out are also very important,” he said. “Above all, what matters most is the attitude that we will take responsibility for and defend our own security.”
Lee also called for a swift transfer of wartime operational control from Washington to Seoul, after U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson recently told the House Armed Services Committee that the transition could be completed before the first quarter of 2029.
“Only with a firm commitment to self-reliant defense can we earn the respect of our friends and keep our alliance even stronger,” Lee said. “I ask that the transfer of wartime operational control proceed swiftly and smoothly, in a way that further strengthens the South Korea-U.S. alliance.”
“True and capable security is not only about winning a war, but also about creating peace so that war does not break out,” Lee said. “We will do our utmost to strengthen our defense capabilities in a way that supports peace on the Korean Peninsula and South Korea’s continued progress.”
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