When South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived this week at Seoul's largest weapons expo ever in the back seat of a fighter jet, he didn't present the image of a leader bent on making peace with North Korea.
before he leaves office in May, that military buildup appears a lasting legacy.
"When this government unveiled F-35 fighter jets in 2019 after buying them from the U.S., I wondered why they would do that even as they want to champion inter-Korean engagement, knowing the North hates it so much," one diplomatic source in Seoul said. "But I later realised that in Moon's concept of self-reliant defence, they do what they plan to do, come rain or come shine.
His push for more military power has been influenced by other factors, most prominently a genuine concern about countering North Korea's growing threats, officials said.
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