Integrated Commissioning Ceremony for Army, Navy and Air Force Academies on the 20th
Lee: "No independent defense without preparing for future warfare"
President Lee Jaemyung is giving a hand salute at the joint commissioning ceremony for the Army, Navy and Air Force academies held on the 20th at the main parade ground of Gyeryongdae in Chungnam. Yonhap News
On the 20th, President Lee Jaemyung stated, "Despite the fact that we have sufficient strength to defend ourselves, some are still trapped in a dependent mindset that says independent national defense is impossible," stressing, "Let us consign such outdated perceptions and attitudes to the museum of a bygone era." He also expressed his determination that South Korea should take the lead in the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command by regaining wartime operational control (OPCON).
President Lee made these remarks while attending the joint commissioning ceremony for the Army, Navy and Air Force academies held at Gyeryongdae in Chungcheongnam-do on this day. He said, "The peace and prosperity of the Republic of Korea are not something others create for us, but something we must create ourselves," adding, "When we firmly establish an independent mindset that we will build our own strength and protect ourselves, our efforts toward 'self-strengthening' will lead to even greater achievements."
He went on to reiterate, "A true era of independent national defense will open when we regain wartime operational control on the basis of our strong pride in our national defense capabilities, and when the Republic of Korea, backed by overwhelming military power, takes the lead in the ROK-U.S. combined defense posture."
President Lee also called for being armed with a strong will for independent national defense, saying, "Let us be armed with a firm determination that our country will be defended by our own strength." He added, "The Republic of Korea today possesses stronger defense capabilities than at any other time in our history," explaining, "On the solid foundation of the ROK-U.S. alliance, we are pursuing the construction of nuclear-powered submarines, and we are a global military power ranking around fifth in the world, with defense spending alone amounting to 1.4 times North Korea's gross domestic product (GDP), as well as an economic powerhouse ranking around tenth in the world in terms of economic strength."
"There Is No Independent Defense Without Preparing for Future Warfare... Massive Investment in Advanced Weapons"
President Lee Jaemyung is entering the joint commissioning ceremony for the Army, Navy and Air Force academies held on the 20th at the Gyeryongdae Grand Parade Ground in Chungcheongnam-do. Photo by Yonhap News
He also urged that the armed forces be transformed into a smart, elite, and strong military. President Lee said, "If we fail to proactively prepare for future warfare, in which artificial intelligence (AI) and manned-unmanned teaming systems are highly advanced, there will be no future for independent national defense," pledging, "The government will spare no full-scale investment, including the introduction of advanced weapon systems." He called on those in attendance, saying, "I ask you to break away from inertia and old habits, and to take the lead in developing new strategies and operations to prepare for future warfare."
In addition, President Lee addressed the involvement of the military in illegal martial law, saying, "Let us thoroughly reflect on the military's past wrongdoings and make a complete break with them, and be reborn as 'the people's military' that looks only to the people, the sovereign," adding, "Let us completely eradicate the remnants and build a 'Republic of Korea Armed Forces' that faithfully carries out its original missions and roles." He continued, "In order to rebuild the Republic of Korea Armed Forces as a military of the people that protects constitutional values and the people, we will further and more firmly strengthen the democratic and institutional foundations."
Meanwhile, the commissioning ceremony for the service academies was held in an integrated format for the Army, Navy and Air Force for the first time in nine years since 2017. In relation to this, President Lee explained, "When we become 'one military' beyond each individual domain, we can move toward the 'single goal' of protecting our territory and our people," adding, "Today's joint commissioning ceremony will serve as an opportunity to break down the walls between the branches, strengthen 'jointness,' and seek future changes for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces."
Finally, President Lee said, "Independence activist Ahn Joonggeun left us the words, 'Devotion to the nation is the fundamental duty of a soldier' (Wi-guk-heon-sin gun-in-bon-bun, meaning that dedicating oneself to the country is the soldier's duty)," and encouraged the troops by saying, "As commander-in-chief of the armed forces, I will provide strong support so that your dedication and sacrifice to safeguard the peace and prosperity of our nation can shine brilliantly as honor and pride."
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