South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday called for stronger independent defence capabilities while defending annual civil-defence exercises held alongside joint US-South Korea military drills, saying they are defensive and not intended to threaten North Korea.
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Lee's remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump instructed the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea and said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had responded to his outreach.
At a Cabinet meeting, Lee said Seoul should continue with its existing plan to transfer wartime operational control from the United States during his presidency.
“A strong alliance makes the foundation of security stronger, and strengthening our own capabilities increases our value and necessity as an ally,” Lee said, stressing that the US-South Korea alliance and South Korea's independent defence capabilities should reinforce each other.
He also called for faster progress on South Korea's nuclear-powered submarine programme and urged the development of military officers capable of conducting integrated operations as the distinction between different battlefields becomes increasingly blurred.
Lee defends military exercises as defensive
At a National Security Council meeting, Lee defended civil-defence exercises conducted alongside the major US-South Korea military drills, saying their purpose was to protect South Korean citizens rather than threaten Pyongyang.
South Korea had “no intention of using the exercises to attack North Korea or raise tensions on the Korean Peninsula”, Lee said, according to a statement from the presidential Blue House.
He added that the exercises were intended to safeguard people's daily lives and were not directed at any particular party as an enemy.
The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises began on Monday as scheduled and are due to continue until August 27, with around 18,000 South Korean troops participating, according to Reuters.
Trump had criticised the drills on Sunday, saying they were costly and sent an inappropriate and hostile signal to North Korea. He also cited Seoul's refusal to participate in US efforts related to denuclearising Iran.
The South Korean government said it was reviewing Trump's remarks and expressed hope that his relationship with Kim could create an opportunity for meaningful dialogue aimed at improving peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Trump seeks to revive engagement with Kim
Trump has long opposed or sought to reduce the scale of US military exercises with South Korea, while also pressing Seoul to shoulder more of the cost of maintaining the roughly 28,500 US troops stationed in the country.
North Korea routinely condemns the joint exercises as rehearsals for an invasion, while Pyongyang has continued developing its nuclear and missile capabilities.
Trump and Kim have previously held three summits, but those diplomatic efforts failed to produce an agreement that curtailed North Korea's nuclear weapons or ballistic missile programmes.
Reuters reported that analysts see Trump's latest move as potentially part of a broader effort to create diplomatic space with Pyongyang. North Korea has also deepened its military cooperation with Russia, including providing support for Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Despite Trump's call for fewer exercises, Lee's remarks suggest Seoul intends to maintain its broader defence preparedness while pursuing greater self-reliance within its alliance with Washington.
The South Korean president's emphasis on independent defence comes at a sensitive moment for the alliance, with questions over the future scale of joint exercises, wartime operational control and Trump's renewed outreach to Kim Jong Un.
