South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has ordered an accelerated drive toward military self-reliance, calling for the return of wartime operational control and the construction of nuclear-powered submarines after Washington moved to sharply reduce its participation in joint exercises.
Speaking on Tuesday, Lee framed both objectives as central to strengthening Seoul’s independent defence capabilities, signalling a recalibration of the decades-old alliance even as he pledged to preserve it. The shift follows growing uncertainty in Seoul over the direction of U.S. security commitments under President Donald Trump.
The this year’s Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which began Monday and had been scheduled to run into the following week, is now expected to be cut by roughly half. The allies were set to complete the drill’s first, defensive phase before cancelling or deferring a second phase involving counter-attack operations.
The scaling back is widely linked to Trump’s reported interest in arranging a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Large-scale exercises, which Pyongyang has long condemned as rehearsals for invasion, are seen in Washington as a potential obstacle to reopening dialogue with the North.
For Lee, the reductions have added momentum to a broader push for autonomy. Regaining wartime operational control (OPCON) — the authority to command South Korean forces during a conflict, currently held by a U.S.-led command — has been a long-standing goal for progressive administrations in Seoul but has repeatedly stalled over readiness assessments.
The proposal to build nuclear-powered submarines, capable of longer, quieter deployments than the country’s diesel-electric fleet, would mark a significant expansion of South Korea’s naval reach. Such vessels require access to advanced propulsion technology and enriched fuel, areas constrained by existing agreements with the United States.
The developments build on Trump’s earlier directive to the Pentagon to scale back the joint drills, a move that caught many in Seoul off guard and intensified debate over the reliability of the security umbrella.
“South Korea must be able to defend itself,” Lee stated, urging officials to treat self-reliance as a strategic priority rather than a reaction to any single decision by an ally.
Analysts note that the twin goals of OPCON transfer and a nuclear submarine fleet reflect a longer-term hedging strategy in Seoul, balancing continued reliance on the alliance against the risk of shifting American priorities.
Whether Trump’s outreach to Kim materialises into a formal summit remains uncertain. For now, South Korea appears intent on expanding its own defensive options, positioning itself to act with greater independence regardless of how negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang unfold.