President Lee Jae Myung on Aug. 25 gives a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. (Yonhap News)

By Kang Gahui

President Lee Jae Myung on Aug. 25 pledged to "open a new horizon for a practical bilateral alliance focused on national interests" with the U.S.

He said this in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank based in Washington, after his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.

President Lee said, "I agreed with President Trump to modernize the bilateral alliance to be more mutually beneficial and future-oriented in line with the changing security environment."

"First, we will raise spending on national defense," he added. "The higher budget for defense will be used for adopting cutting-edge science technology and assets to develop our military into a smart and strong force that will surely win the future wars of the 21st century."

"At the summit, President Trump expressed his active support for the Republic of Korea's efforts to reinforce its national defense capability and conveyed his intent to further expand bilateral cooperation in advanced defense industries," he said. "The capabilities and posture of both Korea and the U.S. will be further raised and strengthened to completely respond to the changing security environment and threats.

"The obligations of the Non-Proliferation Treaty must be strictly followed on the Korean Peninsula," he added. "President Trump and I agreed to closely cooperate for a peaceful and nuclear-free Korean Peninsula."

"The heyday of our bilateral alliance is yet to come not because we lack something but because what we can achieve in the future is infinite," he said. "Together, we can achieve greater things, so let's work together toward that glorious moment."

kgh89@korea.kr