ED Inconsistent messaging risks security

President Lee Jae Myung approaches the podium to address the General Debate of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York, Sept. 23. EPA-Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung has vowed to end military confrontation between the two Koreas and bring lasting peace to the Korean Peninsula.

In a keynote address to the 80th U.N. General Assembly in New York on Tuesday (local time), Lee unveiled a peace initiative dubbed “END,” an acronym for exchange, normalization and denuclearization.

“Peace will come if all involved parties stop fighting,” Lee said. “I will end the days of hatred and confrontation.”

To achieve this goal, he pledged to promote inter-Korean exchanges, support steps to normalize North Korea’s relations with the international community and encourage the North to pursue denuclearization. He emphasized that South Korea would back international efforts — especially those involving the United States — to normalize diplomatic ties with North Korea.

Though indirectly, Lee acknowledged the critical role of the U.S. in establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula. The role of the U.S. is essential — perhaps more important than many realize — for peace between the two Koreas. His statement reaffirmed that the South Korea-U.S. alliance has been and will continue to be the cornerstone of sustainable peace in the region.

However, Lee's speech contrasted notably with his earlier remarks made just days before.

On Sunday, Lee stirred controversy with a post on Facebook, asserting that South Korea's military is already strong enough to defend itself independently.

“There are people who say South Korea lacks self-reliance in defense and use this argument to justify the continued presence of foreign troops here. That’s nothing more than submissive thinking,” he wrote. Lee pledged to make the South Korean military self-reliant and robust, so that no foreign power would dare to invade.

His comments were widely interpreted as a veiled reference to the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea. As expected, the post caused a stir, with some critics interpreting it as a suggestion that the U.S. military presence is no longer necessary — a potentially explosive claim in the context of the long-standing alliance.

It remains unclear whether Lee literally meant to call for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. Some analysts argue his tough rhetoric may be part of a diplomatic strategy aimed at pressuring Washington amid stalled tariff negotiations.

Seoul and Washington are struggling to narrow their differences over a $350 billion investment that South Korea had previously agreed to. The U.S. is reportedly pressing for the entire amount to be paid in cash upfront, while Seoul has pushed back, concerned that such a massive outflow of capital could trigger a liquidity crisis reminiscent of the financial turmoil it experienced in the late 1990s.

Some speculate that Lee is using the U.S. military presence as leverage to gain more favorable terms. Their reasoning goes that the U.S. troops are not only here to deter a North Korean invasion but also to serve broader U.S. strategic interests in the region, such as countering China.

If that is his belief, critics say that the president has been poorly advised.

Whatever his motives, one thing is clear: Lee’s remarks were ill-timed and inappropriate. They risk undermining the South Korea-U.S. alliance and send a misleading message about the nature of the relationship.

In his Facebook post, Lee cited advances in artificial intelligence (AI) to support his call for a more self-reliant military. He mentioned AI-guided combat robots, armed drones, and precision-strike missiles, claiming that 50 elite troops equipped with such technologies could defend the country against much larger forces. He argued that South Korea should abandon its outdated “meat grinder-style” military tactics and transition to elite, tech-savvy units.

But Lee’s confidence in AI-driven warfare appears misplaced. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war offers a sobering lesson: Conventional weapons still play a crucial role in modern warfare. In 2023, Russia, struggling with artillery shortages, turned to North Korea for military assistance — highlighting that even a major power cannot rely solely on advanced technologies to win wars. Despite Ukraine’s smaller arsenal and less competitive technology, its persistent resistance has prolonged the war far beyond initial expectations.

Lee's shifting stance on the U.S. role in Korean Peninsula affairs suggests inconsistency, and such reversals can damage South Korea’s credibility as a trusted partner, not only to the U.S. but also to the broader international community.

Lee must strive for greater consistency in his messaging and policy direction. If he truly seeks peace, it must be built not only on vision and innovation but also on trust, reliability and strong alliances.