President Lee Jae Myung speaks in a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Tuesday. (Yonhap)


President Lee Jae Myung said South Korea’s deterrence against North Korea is not affected by the movement of US Forces Korea air defense assets, while underscoring the importance of self-reliant national defen 바다이야기pc버전다운 se.
Presiding over a weekly Cabinet meeting, Lee noted that “it appears that recently controversy has arisen over the US Forces Korea taking certain assets — such as (missile) batteries or a 골드몽릴게임 ir defense systems — out of the country.”
“From our government’s standpoint, we expect the role of US Forces Korea to contribute fully to stability and peace on the Korean Peninsula, and we 황금성오락실 believe that it has done so up to now,” Lee said in his opening remarks during the meeting, which was broadcast live.
In an apparent acknowledgement of redeployment of USFK air defense asset 손오공게임 s and said Seoul had opposed it.
"However, depending on how the situation unfolds, US Forces Korea could take some air defense assets out of the country to meet its own military needs," Lee 카카오야마토 said. "While we have expressed our opposition to such a move, it is also the clear reality that we cannot fully have things carried out according to our position."
Lee’s comments came after local media reports pointed to signs of a possible redeployment of air defense assets amid the ongoing US war against Iran, which began with joint US-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28. The reports cited sightings of large US military transport aircraft capable of carrying Patriot missile batteries at Osan Air Base and the relocation of Patriot missile batteries there from other US bases in South Korea.
However, Lee stressed that the possible redeployment of US air defense assets would not significantly undermine South Korea’s deterrence posture against North Korea.
“If you ask whether that would create any serious disruption to our deterrence strategy against North Korea, I can say that it absolutely does not,” Lee said.
“When we look at it objectively, South Korea’s level of military defense spending is very high even by global standards,” Lee said, citing official statistics that show the country’s annual defense spending amounts to about 1.4 times North Korea’s entire gross domestic product for a year.
Lee added that international assessments also rank South Korea’s overall military power fifth in the world, apparently referring to the 2026 Military Strength Ranking released by Global Firepower in January. South Korea ranked fifth in the world in conventional military power for a third consecutive year, trailing only the United States, Russia, China and India.
“If you compare objectively, the gap with North Korea is enormous. Of course, there is the special factor of North Korea’s nuclear weapons, but in terms of conventional combat capability and military strength, the difference is overwhelmingly large and simply not comparable,” Lee said.
Lee then underscored the need for South Korea to maintain the ability to defend itself regardless of external support.
“In fact, national defense is something that each country must ultimately take responsibility for on its own,” Lee said. “If you depend on someone else, there can be situations where that dependence collapses. What would we do then? We must always prepare for the worst.”
“Defense spending is the same. It is not because a war is happening right now, but because we must prepare for the possibility of unforeseen contingencies,” Lee added.
The president stressed that policymakers should always consider scenarios in which outside support may not be available, saying defense spending is meant to prepare for contingencies rather than immediate war.
“We must always think about what we would do if external support were not available,” Lee said. “Just as we must routinely prepare for the unlikely possibility of war, situations can arise — depending on shifts in the international order — where outside assistance disappears, regardless of our intentions.”
“In such cases, we must have sufficiently strong capabilities for so-called 'self-reliant defense,'” he said.
Lee repeatedly sought to allay public concerns.
“Considering our level of defense spending, the development of South Korea’s defense industry, our international ranking in military power and the high morale and sense of responsibility of our service members, there is absolutely no reason to worry about the nation’s defense,” Lee said.
“And we must ensure that it remains that way. I would like to say that there is absolutely no need for concern.”