(LEAD) Lee reaffirms commitment to regain wartime command in meeting with U.S. lawmakers

▲ President Lee Jae Myung (C) poses for a group photo with a delegation of U.S. Senate lawmakers visiting South Korea at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on April 2, 2026. (Yonhap)

▲ President Lee Jae Myung (L) shakes hands with U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) before their talks at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on April 2, 2026. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Lee-US lawmakers

(LEAD) Lee reaffirms commitment to regain wartime command in meeting with U.S. lawmakers

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 10-15, photo)

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung met with a delegation of U.S. lawmakers Thursday and reaffirmed his commitment to regain wartime operational control from Washington as part of a push to take on a greater share of the defense burden on the Korean Peninsula.

Lee made the remarks during a meeting with six members of the Congressional Study Group on Korea, where the two sides exchanged views on security and economic issues between Seoul and Washington.

"In addition to increasing defense spending, we aim to reduce the burden on the United States by regaining wartime operational control, and to take responsibility for safeguarding peace and stability in Northeast Asia, particularly around the Korean Peninsula," Lee said.

"We believe it is only right that the defense of the Korean Peninsula be carried out by our own strength and capabilities," he added.

Lee also expressed gratitude for U.S. support for South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War, and asked the lawmakers to continue supporting peace and stability on the peninsula.

His remarks came after Donald Trump said Wednesday South Korea was "not helpful" to the U.S. despite the presence of American troops "in harm's way" near a nuclear-armed North Korea, as he called for greater efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

"The denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is also a very important issue from the Republic of Korea's perspective, and it is likely to draw significant attention in U.S. political circles as well," he said.

Lee noted that peace and stability on the peninsula carry broader security implications for Northeast Asia and beyond, underscoring the importance of dialogue with Washington and Pyongyang to produce meaningful progress.

To that end, Lee reiterated his proposal to Trump that he serve as a "peacemaker," while Seoul would take on the role of a "pacemaker" to support those efforts.

Lee and the delegation exchanged in-depth views on a wide range of issues, including the South Korea-U.S. alliance, and pending issues related to the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing.

They agreed on the importance of maintaining close communication between the two countries to better respond to evolving global challenges, she added.

Lee urged the U.S. Senate to actively support efforts to boost cooperation in areas such as the peaceful use of nuclear energy, nuclear-powered submarines and shipbuilding, as well as in South Korea's investment package in the U.S.

He then called for efforts to improve the U.S. visa system, noting a U.S. immigration raid at a Korean factory in Georgia last year.

"For South Korea's strategic investment in the U.S. to be smoothly implemented, incidents such as the detention of South Korean nationals in Georgia last year should not be repeated," he said.

Additionally, he urged the lawmakers' support in passing the Partner with Korea Act, which seeks to create an allotment of 15,000 E-4 highly skilled work visas for Korean nationals with specialized education or expertise.

The delegation included Ami Bera (D-CA), Ryan Zinke (R-MT), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Jill Tokuda (D-HI) and Patrick Harrigan (R-NC).

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