ANKARA South Korean President Lee Jae Myung unveiled his administration’s first budget Tuesday -- a 728 trillion won ($505 billion) spending plan for 2026, marking an 8.1% increase from this year. For defense, the Lee administration allocated 66.3 trillion won ($46 billion), up 8.2% from this year, to upgrade conventional weapon systems to cutting-edge capabilities and accelerate the realization of a “self-reliant defense,” according to Yonhap News Agency. “Relying on external forces for our