Korea seeks to highlight efforts for 'self-reliant' defense at key security forum

SINGAPORE — At a key defense forum in Singapore, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back has highlighted South Korea's efforts to strengthen its "self-reliant" defense capabilities amid growing North Korean threats and a volatile security environment shaped in part by the Middle East tensions. Attending the three-day Asia Security Summit, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, Ahn also stressed that these efforts are being pursued alongside the country's strong commitment to strengthening its alliance with the United States. In his speech during a plenary session Saturday, Ahn cited the North's military buildup and its closer alignment with Russia as a "key variable" in global security, emphasizing that the security on the Korean Peninsula is increasingly linked to the security in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. "The Republic of Korea will continue its efforts to strengthen self-reliant defense capabilities in tandem with enhancing the alliance (with the United States)," Ahn said in his speech, calling South Korea by its official name. Ahn introduced South Korea's efforts to build a "smart military