President Lee: "Self-Reliant Defense Through OPCON Transfer"... Urges Dialogue with North Korea

Armed Forces Day Ceremony Held at Gyeryongdae
Rapid Launch of National Defense Academy
Accelerating Introduction of Selective Volunteer Service
Transition to a Smart and Elite Military
Renewed Emphasis on the Military's Political Neutrality

On October 1, President Lee Jae-myung stated, "Autonomous national defense is synonymous with sovereignty," and pledged to complete the half-century-long task of achieving independent national defense through the reclaiming of wartime operational control. He also said that the military's organizational structure would be reformed to respond to future warfare, including developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and drones, while accelerating the establishment of a 'Korean Armed Forces Academy' and the introduction of a 'selective volunteer military service system.' Regarding a landmine accident in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), he expressed, "Even now, my heart is heavy when I think of the wounded soldiers," and wished for their speedy recovery.

President Lee Jae-myung is delivering a commemorative speech at the 78th Armed Forces Day ceremony held at Gyeryongdae, Chungnam, on October 1, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News

At the 78th Armed Forces Day ceremony held on the runway at Gyeryongdae, Chungnam, President Lee remarked, "President Park Chung-hee broke ground for the defense industry by advocating that we manufacture our own rifles, and President Roh Moo-hyun propelled that dream further with his commitment to defense reform and operational control transfer. We will put the final period to this effort by reclaiming wartime operational control, and realize it together with the people without fail."

Referring to the state-of-the-art Aegis destroyer 'Daehokimjongseo,' which was launched the previous day, President Lee emphasized, "By the mid-2030s, we will successfully construct domestically made nuclear-powered submarines with our own technology." He went on to stress, "The most reliable security is the state in which there is no need to fight—in other words, achieving peace." He further urged, "The North and South must find a 'path to mutual victory' for peace on the Korean Peninsula and build trust." Addressing the North, he said, "We hope and urge you to join us in restoring trust and reestablishing severed dialogue."

President Lee also announced bold reforms to the military's structure. He outlined plans to advance AI and unmanned-manned integrated systems, strengthen the Korean Three-Axis System, and accelerate the development of future military assets such as high-energy laser interceptors, AI-based command and control systems, and high-powered missiles. In particular, he called for the prompt and determined establishment of a 'Korean Armed Forces Academy' to nurture officers capable of executing integrated operations.

In response to personnel reductions, President Lee unveiled a plan to increase the number of technology-intensive non-commissioned officers through the 'selective volunteer system' and shift the force structure toward a cadre-centric model. The core of the plan is to allow service members to choose between short-term enlistment and serving as technology-focused non-commissioned officers who can map out their future—such as employment or education—while on long-term duty. To support these defense reforms, the government has set next year’s defense budget at 73 trillion won, an 8.2% increase.

President Lee also reiterated the need to restore the military's "political neutrality" and "armed forces of the people." He stated, "The military must devote itself solely to its obligations of safeguarding the lives and security of the people under the Constitution, strictly observing political neutrality," and added, "We will institutionalize cultures and practices to ensure illegal military-led insurrections never happen again."

President Lee Jae-myung is riding in a review vehicle to review the troops at the 78th Armed Forces Day celebration held at Gyeryongdae, Chungnam on October 1, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News

This year's ceremony, held under the theme "Achieving Autonomous National Defense! The Irreplaceable Armed Forces," featured a variety of events—including the implementation of three core topics: autonomous national defense, earning the trust of the people, and AI-powered irreplaceable armed forces—as well as an exhibition of various advanced weapon systems developed by Korea's defense industry. After a combined civilian-military samulnori performance, the ceremony featured dynamic aerial displays, including high-difficulty maneuvers by the Air Force’s special aerobatic team, the Black Eagles, captivating the audience.

There was no military parade during this year's Armed Forces Day celebrations. While a parade featuring troops and weapons was held under the previous administration, the Lee Jae-myung government has continued the policy of not holding a parade for the second consecutive year.

Various new weapons were unveiled at the event. As the threat of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles has gained prominence in light of conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war, a live demonstration of the domestically developed laser air defense weapon 'Cheongwang' was presented. In addition, several new weapons were showcased for the first time to the public, including the K877 wheeled command post vehicle, KM3 self-propelled bridging equipment, high-performance multi-launch rocket systems and anti-drone intercepting UAVs, AI-based swarm drones, multifunctional unmanned vehicles, and a small tactical vehicle-mounted 120mm mortar system. The Hyunmoo-5 missile, dubbed the "monster missile" for its warhead weight of 8 tons, was also featured three consecutive times at the Armed Forces Day ceremonies held two and three years ago. The Hyunmoo-5 is a missile designed to destroy underground bunkers where the North Korean command may be hiding.

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