[SUMMIT] President Lee pledges to increase defense spending, future-oriented Korea-US alliance

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Lee Jae Myung announced the South Korean government's plans to increase the nation's defense budget in order to strengthen the role of the armed forces. Such move is also aimed at advancing the Korea-U.S. alliance in a more future-oriented direction. Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a prominent policy think tank in Washington, D.C., Monday (local time), President Lee stressed that South Korea would take a more proactive role in safeguarding security on the Korean Peninsula. “First, we will increase our defense budget. The additional resources will be used to acquire advanced technologies and assets to build a smart, strong military capable of prevailing in the wars of the 21st century,” the president stressed. President Lee also referenced his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump earlier that day, highlighting their agreement to modernize the alliance in line with evolving security challenges. “President Trump and I agreed (during the summit) to update the Korea-U.S. alliance so that it becomes more reciprocalWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times