South Korea’s AI and Defense Ambitions Reveal Growing Global Tech and Security Tensions

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s recent call to more than triple government investment in artificial intelligence projects and significantly increase defense spending is not just a domestic budgetary issue—it is part of a broader geopolitical contest that impacts U.S. influence in the critical Indo-Pacific region. Is South Korea Moving Away from Its Trusted Ally? President Lee’s announcement of an 8.2% defense budget increase aims at modernizing South Korea’s military with advanced weapons systems, including a push for AI integration. While modernizing the military is prudent, the stated goal of reducing reliance on the United States raises concerns for American...