South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday called for the development of stronger independent defense capabilities and the continued execution of civil-defense exercises. Lee stated that these drills, which occur alongside joint U.S.-South Korea military maneuvers, are defensive in nature and not intended to threaten North Korea. The President emphasized that the purpose of the exercises is to safeguard the lives and safety of South Korean citizens.
The remarks followed an instruction from U.S. President Donald Trump for the Pentagon to "substantially reduce" joint military exercises with South Korea. President Trump also stated on Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had responded to his diplomatic overtures. Despite these developments, President Lee maintained that South Korea must pursue its goal of securing independent defense to complement its alliance with the United States.
During a cabinet meeting, Lee said that the planned transfer of wartime operational control from the U.S. to South Korea should proceed as scheduled during his term. He proposed accelerating the nation's nuclear-powered submarine program and developing military officers capable of managing integrated operations as the boundaries between modern battlefields blur. A statement from the presidential Blue House reiterated that the exercises do not target any specific party as an enemy.
For the average South Korean citizen, this development means continued participation in annual civil-defense drills that are now explicitly framed as protective measures for daily life rather than offensive maneuvers. The focus on transferring wartime operational control—currently held by the United States—would change the chain of command for the South Korean military during a conflict, placing it under domestic authority for the first time since the Korean War.
The decision to maintain these exercises despite President Trump’s call for reductions sets a precedent for how South Korea manages its own security priorities independently of U.S. executive preferences. This could influence future diplomatic negotiations between the U.S., South Korea, and North Korea regarding the scale of military presence on the peninsula. The next steps involve the scheduled wartime operational control transfer and the further development of the domestic submarine program, though specific completion dates were not reported.
What happens next: The joint U.S.-South Korea military drills and accompanying civil-defense exercises will proceed as scheduled. The South Korean government will move forward with its existing plan to transfer wartime operational control during President Lee's current term, although the source did not provide the specific end date for that term or the exact deadline for the transfer.