Lee says depending on U.S. for defense no longer valid, will boost economic ties

ROME - President Lee Jae Myung said South Korea's traditional reliance on the United States for defense is no longer valid and that the country will seek to become a partner capable of self-reliant defense.Seoul will also work to expand its economic cooperation with the U.S., he added, calling it an important factor in what he called a new approach that he said will better serve South Korea's national interest amid a shift in the geopolitical environment.Lee made the remarks in an interview, published Thursday, with Corriere della Sera, Italy's most widely circulated daily newspaper, as he …READ FULL ARTICLE