The peaceful daily life we enjoy has become familiar. In the morning, children head to school and young adults go to work. In the evening, families gather again. Throughout those hours, service members hold their posts on land, at sea and in the air. On this 78th Armed Forces Day, I first offer my gratitude for the efforts of those who make such ordinary days possible.
This year's Armed Forces Day theme is "Achieving Self-Reliant Defense! An Irreplaceable Military." Why is our military irreplaceable? Because the responsibility of defending the sovereignty of the Republic of Korea and the lives of its people cannot be entrusted to anyone else. The phrase "irreplaceable" carries as much weight of responsibility as it does pride.
South Korea has risen from the ruins of war to become an economic and cultural power. The tanks and self-propelled howitzers, fighter jets and warships we build are drawing global attention. Yet security conditions are growing more difficult. North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities are advancing, and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East show how drones, artificial intelligence, and space and cyber technologies are reshaping the battlefield. The decline in the pool of eligible conscripts is already a reality. Maintaining existing troop levels and weapons systems alone cannot secure the future.
In the face of these changes, self-reliant defense must mean acquiring the capability to take responsibility for our own defense. The transfer of wartime operational control is likewise a process of building our military's capacity to plan, decide and execute operations on its own initiative in wartime. In that process, we must prepare thoroughly so that no gaps open in our defense capabilities, while also strengthening the military bonds of the South Korea-U.S. alliance. Self-reliance and alliance are not an either-or choice. Our military's capacity to lead and the alliance's combined defense capability must advance together.
Military innovation, too, must go beyond replacing equipment. For manned-unmanned teaming systems, drones and robots, and space and cyber forces to prove their worth in actual operations, the way they are employed and the way personnel are trained must change. The value of new equipment depends on the operational capability it makes possible. The "victorious military" recently emphasized by Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul must also be proven through capability rather than slogans. Only when it is ready to fight and win can the military deter war and protect the daily lives of the people.
What ultimately completes that combat power is people. It is the expertise, judgment and sense of responsibility of service members that breathe life into advanced weapons. In this respect, investing in people is the surest way to strengthen our forces. Service members must receive treatment commensurate with their dedication and be able to develop their capabilities. The lives of military families must also be looked after so that service members can devote themselves to their missions with peace of mind. The belief that the nation values one's dedication is itself the source of a service member's pride.
Public trust is also a source of military strength. When the military upholds the principle of loyalty to the Constitution and the people and remains faithful to its core mission, the public can trust it and take pride in the dedication of its service members. That trust deepens when the military takes another step closer to the people. This year's Armed Forces Day events being held alongside the Ground Forces Festival and the Gyeryong Military Culture Festival is meaningful in that it broadens the encounter between the public and the military. I hope these events will be a time for the public to encourage service members for their efforts, and for the military to demonstrate its readiness and listen to the voices of the people.
What we should look to on Armed Forces Day is not only the fighter jets cutting across the sky and the advanced weapons on proud display. Behind them are service members who have given up their own time to defend the country, parents who have sent their sons and daughters into the military, and the ordinary days of the people they protect.
The military we aspire to is clear: a military trusted by the people, a healthy military full of vitality, and a strong military that fights and wins. A military that safeguards the people's today and opens the Republic of Korea's tomorrow. When we answer that dedication with the people's affection and the state's responsibility, our peace grows firmer. On this 78th Armed Forces Day, I extend deep gratitude and encouragement to all service members and their families.
