South Korea’s president has vowed to sharply increase defense spending to introduce a variety of high-tech weapons as part of efforts to build a more self-reliant military. President Lee Jae Myung said during an Armed Forces Day ceremony Wednesday that his government would increase next year’s defense spending by 8.2%. He says the increase will cover introduction of AI combat robots, autonomous drones and precision attack and defense missile systems. U.S. President Donald Trump’s America-first agenda has stoked worries in South Korea about the U.S. security commitment to its Asian ally.
