South Korea's president vowed Wednesday to sharply increase defense spending to introduce a variety of high-tech weapons as part of efforts to build a more self-reliant military, as U.S. President Donald Trump's America-first agenda raises questions about the U.S. security commitment to its Asian ally.
A tariff war instigated by Trump's administration and his transactional approach to security threaten to erode many South Koreans' trust in the U.S. There are concerns that he may demand much higher South Korean payments for the U.S. military presence in the country or possibly downsize America’s military footprint to focus more on China.
