President Lee Jae Myung stated that the Korean government has voiced its disapproval of the relocation of certain US Forces Korea air defense weaponry to the Middle East. He emphasized, however, that this decision will not diminish South Korea's ability to deter North Korea.
At the commencement of a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office, Lee discussed the escalating discourse surrounding reports that certain US air defense units based in Korea have been relocated to foreign territories.
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“We have expressed opposition to U.S. Forces Korea to transfer 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 says.
Lee stressed that the transfer would not have a considerable impact on South Korea's capacity to prevent potential hostilities 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 says.
“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 adds.
He observed that South Korea's military expenditures are among the highest globally, mentioning that some calculations indicate the nation's yearly defense budget is approximately 1.4 times that of North Korea's gross domestic product.
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Lee further emphasized that the duty of safeguarding national security ultimately lies with individual nations, and stressed the importance of readiness for potential catastrophic situations.
“We must always think about what we would do if there were no external support,” he said.
He added that Korea must strengthen its self-reliant defense capabilities so it can adequately defend itself even if external support shifts amid changes in the international order.
Additionally earlier, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) recently introduced a program designed to help veterans of the US Forces Korea (USFK) secure employment at Korean companies in the US. The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation (KUSAF) officially entered into a memorandum of understanding at a formal ceremony held at the KCCI's central Seoul headquarters.
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This agreement solidifies their commitment to collaborate on facilitating job connections between Korean businesses based in the US and retired members of the United States Forces Korea (USFK) through the designated platform.
According to the terms of the agreement, KCCI will oversee the operation and promotion of the platform for Korean enterprises, while KUSAF will furnish information to service members and foster their engagement. Businesses will utilize the platform to create and oversee job listings, as well as facilitate the recruitment process for USFK personnel who submit their applications via the platform.
The platform is anticipated to generate fresh prospects for Korean enterprises in the US, particularly as the significance of employing a domestic workforce increases in light of evolving visa and labor market regulations in Washington.