South Korea President Stresses US Alliance as Many Baffled by Trump Order to Cut Exercises
Lee said stronger independent defense will complement the U.S. alliance as Seoul speeds wartime command transfer and a nuclear-powered submarine program.
- On Tuesday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for stronger independent defense capabilities, emphasizing that civil-defense exercises alongside joint United States-South Korea military drills are defensive and not intended to threaten North Korea.
- President Donald Trump previously instructed the Pentagon to "substantially reduce" joint military exercises, claiming the drills "send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile" to North Korea.
- A recent East Asia Institute survey found 46.4% of South Koreans view the United States as "not a trustworthy partner," marking the first time distrust outweighed trust since polling began in 2017.
- The conservative People Power Party criticized Lee for allegedly prioritizing Kim-Trump diplomacy over security, with spokesperson Park Chung-kwon warning that weakening United States defense commitment could shake the "nuclear umbrella."
- Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University, noted South Korean leaders face "constant renegotiation" linking economic and security issues, as North Korea vowed to respond to drills with "a new level of a deterrent.
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94 Articles
These annual manoeuvres, which were originally scheduled to last eleven days, began on Monday. The White House tenant announced on Sunday that it would reduce American participation in these operations, which he said were "a totally inappropriate and hostile signal" to North Korea.
South Korean president pushes for the country to expedite the transfer of control over military operations in wartime from the United States after Trump ordered a reduction in the scale of joint military exercises between the two countries.
South Korea wants its military back
On Tuesday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung reiterated his calls for the country to retake full control of its military operations from the US following Donald Trump’s order to cut back on annual joint training drills in preparation for North Korean threats two days prior. “A strong alliance makes the foundation of security stronger, […]
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