President Lee Jae-myung reaffirmed aboard the Dae-ho frigate that self-reliant defense is sovereignty

President Lee Jae-myung has made it clear that "self-reliant defense is sovereignty."

The president recently attended the launch ceremony of the Kim Jong-seo, hailed as a symbol of self-reliant defense, where he voiced his determination to acquire nuclear-powered submarines. The remarks follow his call at a recent Cabinet meeting to "speed up the building of nuclear-powered submarines and the advancement of missile technology, including hypersonic missiles." Observers see it as a concrete step toward completing the military's force structure.

Why nuclear-powered submarines, and why now

With the Navy's Aegis destroyer fleet in place, nuclear-powered submarines have been identified as the final piece of the puzzle. Powered by nuclear reactors, they can remain submerged for weeks, unlike diesel submarines. President Lee's decision to champion the slogan "self-reliant defense is sovereignty" is interpreted as a declaration that he will not depend on outside powers for security initiative. In particular, with North Korea's provocations continuing, strengthening deterrence has emerged as an urgent task.

Kim Jong-seo, after whom the vessel is named, was a military commander of the late Joseon Dynasty and is known as a progenitor of the Andong Kim clan. Together with the ship name "Dae-ho" (great tiger), the naming appears intended to underscore the historical legitimacy of self-reliant defense.

Strategic weight, practical constraints

Building nuclear-powered submarines is not simply a matter of acquiring weapons; it is a strategic choice. Given the need for budgets in the hundreds of billions of won and years of technology development, the financial burden is substantial. Analysts say that President Lee's emphasis on defense modernization despite his approval rating slipping into the 30 percent range reflects a calculation to build achievements in the security arena, consolidating his support base while winning the trust of moderates at the same time.

That said, given his long-standing opposition to providing weapons to Ukraine, it is more accurate to read his security outlook as focused on "homeland defense" rather than "aggressive intervention." Strengthening self-reliant defense and restraining overseas arms support may appear to point in different directions, but both can be seen as choices stemming from a single principle: national interest first.

The president has also taken preemptive reconciliation steps, such as halting anti-North Korea leaflet campaigns and ending loudspeaker broadcasts. Some assess this as a dual strategy of pursuing powerful weapons while maintaining a flexible approach toward the North.

Links to the three mega-projects

The president ordered that "potential delays in the three mega-projects be identified and resolved in advance," and instructed that "the relocation of the Gwangju military airfield be moved up from mid-2028." Defense infrastructure investment and new weapons construction are thus being tied into a single broader flow. The defense industry is also expanding into an export business, as seen in KAI's memorandum of understanding on aerospace cooperation with Mexico, making self-reliant defense a strategic axis linking security and the economy.

If the launch of the Kim Jong-seo completes the Navy's force structure, the next thing to watch is how large a budget for nuclear-powered submarine construction is reflected in next year's budget bill. With the National Assembly's cooperation essential, the opposition's stance is expected to be a key variable. Whether the self-reliant defense discourse functions as a political lever or collides with disputes over fiscal burdens will likely become clear in upcoming parliamentary audits and budget deliberations. As Abigail Adams warned that power unchecked "wants nothing but a name, a grave to fix it in"—that power, like a grave, ever craves more—striking a balance between the pace of military expansion and its justification will be this government's task.