President Lee Jae Myung speaks at a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
The Korean government has expressed its opposition to the transfer of some U.S. Forces Korea air defense weapons to the Middle East, President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday, but stressed that the move will not weaken the country’s deterrence against North Korea.
Speaking at the beginning of a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office, Lee addressed the growing debate over reports that some U.S. air defense batteries stationed in Korea have been transferred abroad.
“We have expressed opposition to U.S. Forces Korea transferring some air defense weapons according to its own military needs, but it is also the reality that we cannot fully enforce our position,” the president said.
Lee emphasized that the transfer will not significantly affect Korea’s ability to deter potential aggression from North Korea.
“If you ask whether this would seriously create obstacles for our deterrence strategy against North Korea, I can say with certainty that it does not,” he said.
He noted that Korea’s defense spending ranks among the highest in the world, adding that some estimates place the country’s annual defense budget at roughly 1.4 times North Korea’s gross domestic product.
“According to objective assessments by international organizations, Korea’s military strength ranks around fifth in the world,” Lee said. “Objectively speaking, the gap between South Korea and North Korea is enormous.”
“Of course, there is the special factor of North Korea’s nuclear weapons, but when it comes to conventional combat power and military capabilities, the difference is overwhelmingly in our favor,” he added.
Lee also said that national defense is ultimately the responsibility of each country and underscored the need to prepare for worst-case scenarios.
Source: Korea Times News
