Is South Korea‘s Military Power Enough? President Lee Jae-myung’s Bold Claims Explained

President Lee Jae-myung urged greater self-reliant defense, citing South Korea’s military and economic strength.

At the Blue House during the 18th Cabinet meeting and the sixth Emergency Economic Review on the 28th, he asked, “Why do we continue to worry that we cannot defend ourselves without foreign forces?”

He noted that South Korea ranks fifth globally in military capability and pointed out that annual military and defense spending is roughly 1.4 times larger than North Korea’s annual gross national product.

He added that the economy is incomparably stronger and that the defense industry has surged to fourth worldwide in exports, asking why a nation should depend on others when it can defend itself.

Lee emphasized that South Korea is fully capable. While the country faced hardship in the past, the exceptional skills of its people have changed that reality, and he urged officials to make these objective facts more widely known to the public.

Finally, he said he hopes citizens will recognize there is no need for undue concern.