By The Diplomat | Created at 2026-06-09 02:51:59 | Updated at 2026-06-11 09:15:07
2 days ago
On June 4, 2025, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung took office, stating in his inauguration speech that South Korea stood at “the turning point of a great transformation.”
In both his inauguration and Armed Forces Day speeches, Lee highlighted his administrations’ priorities as managing relationships with Seoul’s neighbors from a “practical, national-interest perspective,” using the ever-changing global security environment to create opportunities, and regaining wartime operational control – also known as OPCON transfer.
One year later and the administration’s pragmatic policies have produced strategic accomplishments.
A Push for Self-reliant Defense
One of Lee’s major successes came in the days prior to the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in late October 2025, where U.S. President Donald Trump publicly supported South Korea’s desire to develop a nuclear-powered submarine. A few days after the summit, the two countries released a joint statement that affirmed the United States’ approval and added that Washington would work closely with Seoul for the submarine’s development and logistics, such as its fuel source. Since then, the Lee administration has steadily maintained its engagement with U.S. officials. Recently, officials from both countries completed two days of high-level meetings regarding the submarines, particularly to discuss measures to secure U.S. low-enriched uranium.
Since the October announcement, regional actors and international bodies have had mixed reactions to the news. The Korea JoongAng Daily reported that the International Atomic Energy Agency’s director-general “warned” Seoul that it would require “ironclad guarantees,” to maintain nonproliferation standards. After the news, Japan’s defense minister publicly stated that Japan must consider adding nuclear-powered submarines to its fleet as well, though there was little follow up – likely due to domestic sensitivities surrounding nuclear weaponization. North Korea criticized the South’s “aggressive actions” while showcasing its own newest submarine model. Meanwhile, China has made little public reaction to the submarine news, merely stating that Seoul must handle it with caution. These reactions are likely to evolve as South Korea shifts to a tangible development phase.
Steady Diplomacy With Japan…
Since his inauguration, Lee has had relatively active engagements with Japan. Within Lee’s first year, he and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae have met four times to discuss regional and global issues and cooperative efforts. Continuous shuttle diplomacy has historically indicated positive bilateral relations, with the previous president having more than a dozen of these engagements with Japanese prime ministers. At Lee and Takaichi’s first meeting, the pair agreed to cooperate on economic security and defense. That cooperation extended into the two countries’ latest iteration of its shuttle diplomacy, where they agreed to cooperate to create stability on resource supply chains, such as oil. Both countries also agreed to expand information sharing and communication channels to combat these economic challenges.
In the face of regional and global uncertainty due to the military and economic challenges posed by the conflict in the Middle East, Lee emphasized the necessity for regional cooperation. He stated at the summit that the two countries, including China, “must respect one another, cooperate” to “achieve genuine peace and stability in the region.” Seoul may continue to maintain the frequency of its meetings with Japan to strengthen the bilateral relationship and create tangible outcomes. However, historical grievances and territorial claims may also threaten the possibility for future engagements.
… While North Korea Ignores Engagement Attempts
Despite Lee’s softer approach towards Pyongyang, including his decision to dismantle anti-North loudspeakers and crack down on the distribution of propaganda leaflets, the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has not indicated an interest in engagement with the South. Instead, he publicly declared North Korea will “reject and ignore [South Korea] through the most explicit language and actions,” during the 15th session of the Supreme People’s Assembly in March 2026. Kim also stated that the North would officially recognize the South as “the most hostile nation,” cementing his disinterest in opening communication lines with Seoul.
Knowing this, the Lee administration has explicitly looked to China and the United States to help encourage North Korea to engage in inter-Korean communication, with no success. It is possible that the Sino-North Korean summit next week may present an opportunity for future inter-Korean engagement, although this is unlikely. In the meantime, the South Korean Unification Ministry’s 2026 White Paper referred to the Korean Peninsula as “de facto two states” and pushed for the establishment of “peaceful two-state relations orientated toward unification.” This change may have vast implications on how the two countries interact and the state of the South Korean constitution. As the Chosun Daily remarked in a recent news report, the outlook on inter-Korean relations remains “bleak.”
Modernizing into 2027
South Koreans officials have considered the transfer of wartime operation control to be a long-standing issue since the 2000s. Recently, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth publicly indicated his support for Seoul to reclaim its wartime OPCON. However, there is some tension between U.S. military officials and South Korean politicians on this issue. Commander of U.S. Forces Korea Gen. Xavier Brunson stated at a U.S. House Armed Services Committee hearing in April that he calculates that OPCON transfer may occur around 2029. South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense pushed back, stating that Brunson’s remarks “reflect U.S. Forces Korea’s opinion,” but that the ultimate decision would be politically decided. South Korean media outlets have speculated that Seoul expects OPCON transfer around 2027 or 2028, conflicting with a potential U.S. timeline.
South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back’s remarks at the 2026 Shangri-La Dialogue late last month previewed Seoul’s decision to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) for defense. He noted that countries “can no longer guarantee [their] peace and stability through methods of the past,” adding that South Korea is strengthening its self-reliant national defense. This aligns with Lee’s increased defense budget which focused on advanced weapons systems, AI, and drones. The administration has likely focused on AI-based defense to account for the declining population of military-eligible men. With the 2026 Defense White Paper expected to be released by the end of the year, it is possible that more details will be announced regarding the AI efforts the Lee administration has implemented.
Lee stated in his inauguration speech that pragmatism and the national interest were the guiding principles of his presidency, adding, “If a policy of Park Chung-hee or Kim Dae-jung is necessary and effective, we will adopt it without distinction.” While not reaching the extremes of either former leader, Lee has managed to create successes that reflect the rapid-yet-efficient maneuvers of his administration. The Lee government has challenges to contend with, but so far these have been outweighed by the successes. Lee and his administration will likely continue the self-reliant and pragmatic strategy into the second year as they seek tangible results from their first-year efforts.
