This Year’s Armed Forces Day Event to Be Held at Gyeryongdae

The 78th Armed Forces Day commemorative event will be held on the runway at Gyeryongdae on October 1 next month.

According to the Ministry of National Defense on September 3, this year's Armed Forces Day celebration, held under the theme "Realization of Self-Reliant National Defense! Irreplaceable Armed Forces," will bring together some 4,000 citizens and service members. Notably, this year, in an effort to promote communication and unity with the public, the event will take place on the Gyeryongdae runway, which also hosts the nation's largest military culture festival, the "2026 Ground Forces Festival·Gyeryong Military Culture Festival."

Yonhap News Agency

The government has announced a plan to carry out Armed Forces Day from now on in conjunction with the "Four-Year Plan for Armed Forces Day Events," which will be linked to the Army's Ground Forces Festival, the Air Force's Air Show·ADEX (Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition), the Navy's International Fleet Review, and the Marine Corps' events commemorating the Liberation of Seoul and the Incheon Landing Operation. Through these efforts, the Ministry of National Defense explained, "The government will present the national defense policy and security vision of a sovereign state to the public step by step each year."

This year's commemoration will feature a variety of events centered on three main themes: ▲ realization of self-reliant national defense ▲ trust of the people ▲ AI-based, irreplaceable armed forces. These include exhibitions of various "K-Defense" weapon systems utilizing AI and advanced technology. Under the previous administration of Yoon Suk-yeol, the Armed Forces Day event included a parade featuring troops and weaponry; however, under the administration of Lee Jae-myung, the decision has been made not to hold a parade, meaning there will be no parade for the second consecutive year.

However, to commemorate Armed Forces Day, the Ministry of National Defense, together with the Army, Navy, and Air Force, will host more than 20 security and cultural events from September through October, including the Ground Forces Festival, Incheon Landing Operation Victory Event, Sacheon Air Show, and Navy Patriotic Music Concert.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.