1/ On Armed Forces Day today, President Lee Jae Myung reiterated his push for self-reliant defence and tech-driven military transformation, while emphasising that the US-ROK alliance is fundamental, framing self-reliance as leading within the alliance, not replacing it.
2/ Lee opened by thanking US Forces Korea and the UN Command for preserving peace on the Korean Peninsula. He stated South Korea has a "solid ROK-U.S. alliance" and "reliable nuclear deterrent based on that partnership."
3/ Lee repeated his "smart, elite, strong force" vision: AI combat robots, autonomous drones, precision missiles. Defence budget next year up 8.2% to 66.3 trillion won, focused on tech over troop numbers as future battlefields become "without people." https://x.com/koryodynasty/sta...
4/ He cited the changing global environment: "The longest period of peace and coexistence in history is ending. We're entering an era of intensified conflict, where it's every man for himself," he said. "We must not depend on anyone else but strengthen our own power even more."
5/ On OPCON transfer, Lee said that "the Republic of Korea will lead a joint defence posture with Washington by regaining the operational control based on firm ROK-U.S. alliance."
6/ He said this "solid combined defence capability and posture" would bring peace to the Korean Peninsula and "contribute to regional stability and shared prosperity."