by Alice Jourdan, diplômée de l’Institut Français de Géopolitique
On Monday, May 5, 2026, a vessel operated by the South Korean company HMM Co. was targeted by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, causing an explosion and a fire. Donald Trump immediately reacted by pointing to the ship’s “responsibility,” arguing that it had chosen to “go it alone” rather than be escorted by American forces. The American president seized the opportunity to suggest that South Korea join the U.S.-led maritime transit assistance mission in the strait, known as “Project Freedom.” That project has now been suspended following a decision by Trump on Wednesday, May 6. Seoul therefore no longer needs to consider participating in it. These developments come at a time when South Korea appears to be reconfiguring its relationship with Washington.
On April 28, 2026, President Lee Jae-myung addressed his cabinet at the presidential palace in Seoul, tackling the sensitive issue of relations between South Korea and the United States and, with it, the question of Seoul’s military dependence on Washington.
In recent months, diplomatic relations between the two allies have become strained, particularly due to Donald Trump’s threats of tariffs against South Korea. Faced with the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, Lee Jae-myung has chosen to distance himself from the United States. This new policy takes the form of a declaration focusing, on the one hand, on South Korea’s military independence and, on the other, on Seoul’s desire to strengthen ties with the Global South.
An Asserted Desire for Strategic Autonomy
On the defense front, Lee Jae-myung emphasized the need for South Korea to take responsibility for its own defense in response to growing security concerns, making direct reference to American involvement in the war in the Middle East. “Should we not be prepared to defend ourselves, conduct operations ourselves, and build our own operational strategy?” This position is backed by significant national military capabilities. South Korea has ranked fifth globally in military strength since 2024, according to the Global Firepower study.
Lee Jae-myung further questioned: “Why do we always feel anxious, as though without a foreign military presence we would be incapable of defending ourselves?” — a rhetorical question directly referencing the strong American military presence in South Korea since the second half of the 20th century.
This repositioning is far from insignificant. The American military presence on South Korean soil remains substantial: 28,000 troops from the United States Forces Korea (USFK) were stationed in the country in 2025, continuing a presence established in 1953. South Korea also benefits from the American nuclear umbrella, regarded as essential protection against the North Korean threat, especially since Seoul does not possess nuclear weapons itself.
A Desire to Strengthen Cooperation with the Global South
On the diplomatic front, Lee Jae-myung stressed the importance of what he described as “pragmatic, strategic, and flexible diplomacy,” aimed at increasing the country’s room for maneuver and reducing its dependence on any single region in order to secure a stable engine for growth.
In a context shaped by tensions and war in the Middle East, as well as a broader upheaval in the global balance of power, including economically, the South Korean president announced that “in the future, we will expand our diplomatic horizon toward the Global South.”
Lee Jae-myung is thus paving the way for closer ties with countries of the Global South, to the detriment of the United States, South Korea’s historic ally. His speech marks the beginning of a paradigm shift in Seoul’s relations with Washington.
The Foreign Minister announced on Wednesday, May 6, that a seminar entitled “Korea-Africa Partnership for Joint Responses to Global Crises” will be held on Wednesday, May 13, in order to discuss the strategic importance of developing bilateral relations with African countries. The seminar comes ahead of a major summit bringing together foreign ministers from various African nations, scheduled for next month. Seoul’s desire to strengthen cooperation with African countries is fully in line with Lee Jae-myung’s broader project of rapprochement with the Global South.
