South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Tuesday that South Korea will step up plans to build a self-reliant military
SEOUL — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Tuesday that South Korea will step up plans to build a self-reliant military by significantly bolstering its defence capabilities, while continuing efforts to resume talks with North Korea.
"We will significantly strengthen our national defence capabilities and make sure to realise our hope for self-reliant defence," Lee told a budget speech, saying "our people's pride" will be undermined if South Korea continues to rely on foreign nations over its defense capabilities.
In particular, Lee said South Korea aims to turn its defence force into a "smart and strong" military by using artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
Last week, Lee asked Trump to allow South Korea to have fuel for nuclear-powered submarines. In return, Trump gave approval to South Korea to build nuclear-powered submarines in a US shipyard owned by South Korea's Hanwha Ocean, Yonhap news agency reported.
Without mentioning Trump's approval of nuclear-powered submarines, Lee cited "progress" in talks with the US on the supply of fuel for nuclear-powered submarines.
"Progress in consultations on the supply of nuclear fuel for nuclear-powered submarines has strengthened the foundation for self-reliant defence," Lee said.
A tariff deal with the US that was finalised last week has eased economic uncertainties, Lee said.
Lee said South Korea's tariff deal with the US secured tariff levels equivalent to those of competing countries in key export sectors, such as automobiles and semiconductors, establishing a foundation for fair competition on "a level playing field."
Through his first summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Lee said Seoul and Beijing "fully restored" the bilateral relations and agreed to work together as "strategic cooperative partners" on a path of "pragmatism and mutual benefit."
On the sidelines of the summit, South Korea and China signed a currency swap line worth up to 70 trillion won ($48.6 billion) as well as six other memorandums of understandings, including economic agreements and joint efforts to combat transnational crimes.
During the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering last week, Lee said all-out diplomatic efforts yielded the best possible outcomes under tough conditions.
"We put in our utmost efforts, even pouring out our heart and soul, to achieve the best possible outcome even under the worst circumstances," Lee said.
"Going forward, the government will continue to strengthen the nation's power and elevate its standing through pragmatic diplomacy centered on the national interest."
During the speech for his administration's first annual budget, Lee outlined a 728 trillion-won spending plan for 2026, up 8.1 per cent from this year, highlighting full-scale investment in the AI industry.
"(The government) will significantly expand investment to open the era of AI and lay the ground for future growth," he said.
Lee said the government earmarked 10.1 trillion won for AI transformation to help South Korea become one of the world's top three AI powers, sharply up from 3.3 trillion won this year.
Investment in research and development across strategic industries -- including AI, content and defence -- surged 19.3 per cent from this year to a record high of 35.3 trillion won.
Lee said the government will purchase an additional 15,000 graphics processing units (GPUs), key chips used to train and operate AI models, to reach its target of 35,000 units ahead of schedule.
The government plans to create a 150 trillion-won public-private fund over the next five years to nurture strategic industries driving economic growth.
For defence, the government allocated 66.3 trillion won, up 8.2 per cent from this year, to upgrade conventional weapon systems into cutting-edge capabilities and accelerate the realisation of "self-reliant defence."
"Relying on external force for our defence is a matter that hurts national pride," said Lee, who has pledged to retake the wartime operational control from Washington within his term, which ends in 2030.
Lee asked for bipartisan cooperation to pass the annual budget within the legal deadline, set for December 2.
The main opposition People Power Party boycotted Lee's speech in protest of a special counsel team's decision to seek an arrest warrant for one of its lawmakers involved in former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law bid.