Seoul: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has declared that Seoul's traditional dependence on the United States for defense is no longer "valid." He emphasized South Korea's ambition to become a partner capable of self-reliant defense.

According to Anadolu Agency, President Lee shared these views in an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera. He explained that the longstanding diplomatic strategy of "security with the United States and economy with China" is outdated due to recent geopolitical shifts. As part of a new approach to better serve national interests, Seoul will also work to enhance economic cooperation with Washington.

Lee highlighted the importance of expanding economic cooperation with the US, particularly in high-tech sectors, as a means to boost South Korea's industrial competitiveness. He noted the growing competition between South Korean and Chinese firms resulting from advancements in China's industrial and technological capabilities.

Despite these changes, President Lee reaffirmed that the South Korea-US alliance remains a fundamental component of South Korea's diplomacy. He stressed the need to strengthen Seoul's autonomous capabilities to modernize the alliance, defining these capabilities as the ability to take responsibility for its own defense.

Lee also mentioned that efforts to regain wartime operational control of South Korean forces from Washington align with this new approach and reflect the wishes of the US. Additionally, South Korea plans to deepen cooperation with Europe in high-tech manufacturing and strategic supply chains.

Currently visiting Italy, President Lee's statements come at a time when South Korea, one of the US's oldest and closest allies, hosts approximately 28,500 American soldiers on the Korean Peninsula under a mutual defense treaty with Washington.