(2nd LD) Lee vows to build 'strong, self-reliant' military to cope with changing security landscape
SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday pledged to build a "strong, self-reliant" military force to actively cope with the changing security landscape, expressing his confidence in South Korea's military power and defense industry.
"We should move toward a strong, self-reliant defense, based on our pride and confidence in our military power," Lee said in a speech marking the 77th Armed Forces Day at the Gyeryongdae military headquarters.
"To respond actively to the changing security environment, self-reliant defense is a must," Lee said.
"The Republic of Korea is a powerful nation with the world's fifth-strongest military strength, spending on defense 1.4 times more than North Korea's GDP, and our integrated national strength, economically and culturally, rivals any other country," Lee said, referring to South Korea's official name.
Retaking the wartime operating control, which has remained under the control of the top U.S. military commander in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, has been one of Lee's major security pledges.
Lee said South Korea will take back the wartime operational control of its troops from the United States and lead a robust joint defense posture with Washington if the planned retaking of the wartime command is completed.
"The Republic of Korea will lead a joint defense posture with Washington by regaining the operational control based on the firm ROK-U.S. alliance," Lee said.
"A solid combined defense capability and posture will not only bring peace and stability to the Korean Peninsula but also contribute to the region's stability and shared prosperity," he added.
South Korea handed over operational control of its forces to the U.S.-led U.N. Command during the 1950-53 Korean War. It was then transferred to the allies' Combined Forces Command when it was launched in 1978. While wartime operational control has remained in U.S. hands, South Korea retook peacetime OPCON in 1994.
Defense officials from both sides have recently reviewed progress on the conditions for transfer, which require Seoul to secure the ability to lead combined forces and strengthen strike and air defense capabilities amid a regional security environment supportive of the handover.
The transition has long been a pending issue, with past governments either advancing or delaying it in response to North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats.
Lee stressed the credibility of South Korea's defense posture, noting the nation ranks among the world's top five military powers and spends 1.4 times more of its gross domestic product than North Korea.
"We also have strong ties with countries that share values, a solid ROK-U.S. alliance, and a reliable nuclear deterrent based on that partnership," he said. "There is no reason to doubt our national defense power and even less reason to feel anxious."
To counter threats in future battlefields, Lee outlined plans to restructure the military into "professional, smart, elite forces."
The government, he added, will allocate 66.3 trillion won (US$47.6 billion) for defense in 2026, up 8.2 percent from this year, with greater investments in various technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), drones and robotics.
"A military equipped with integrated manned and unmanned advanced weapon systems like AI combat robots, autonomous drones, and precision attack and defense missile systems is the solution," he said.
Lee also pledged to boost the defense industry as both a strategic asset and a driver of economic growth by increasing investment in technology development and strengthening the industrial ecosystem.
"We will help K-defense grow globally by turning the rapidly changing global security landscape into an opportunity," he said.
He added that the government will enhance service conditions and the compensation system to improve soldiers' welfare and boost morale.
In his first attendance at the ceremony since taking office in June, Lee stressed the need for the military to restore public trust undermined by some commanders' involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid last December.
"As a commander-in-chief and the president who is responsible for Korean citizens, I will clear remnants of illegal martial law and strengthen the institutional framework to rebuild the military that protects the Constitution and the people," he said.
Lee urged the military to stay committed to their duty of protecting the country and people with great pride.
"An army meant to protect the people must never repeat pointing its guns at them," he said. "The military needs to regain the people's trust swiftly and properly fulfill its duty and responsibilities."
ejkim@yna.co.kr
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