Anna Jiwon Park has been covering the politics at The Korea Times since the summer of 2024, when she joined the press pool for the Office of the President in Korea. Prior to that, she spent about five years reporting extensively on financial markets, regulatory authorities and the financial industry. She joined The Korea Times in 2019 after spending eight years as a broadcast journalist at Arirang TV, Korea’s leading global broadcaster, covering politics, defense and culture.
President emphasizes recovery of OPCON, defense budget boost on Armed Forces Day
President Lee Jae Myung salutes during an Armed Forces Day ceremony marking the 77th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Korea military, held at the Gyeryongdae military compound in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province, Wednesday. Yonhap
By Anna J. Park
At a ceremony Wednesday marking South Korea’s 77th Armed Forces Day, President Lee Jae Myung reaffirmed his commitment to regaining wartime operational control (OPCON), calling it essential for building a self-reliant defense capable of meeting rapidly evolving security challenges.
The transfer of OPCON has long been a central issue between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea (ROK). While the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff holds peacetime OPCON, the U.S.-led Combined Forces Command assumes authority in the event of war.
Speaking at the ceremony at the Gyeryongdae military compound in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province, home to the headquarters of the ROK Army, Navy and Air Force, Lee emphasized that “for the peace and prosperity of the Republic of Korea, we must not depend on anyone else, but instead strengthen our own power.”
He cautioned that defense self-reliance has become all the more urgent at a time when “the longest era of peace and coexistence in human history is drawing to a close, the forces of cooperation and shared prosperity are waning, and conflict and confrontation are intensifying in a new age defined by the survival of the fittest.”
To realize this vision of a self-reliant military, he laid out three key policy directions.
President Lee Jae Myung inspects troops from a parade vehicle during the Armed Forces Day ceremony marking the military’s 77th anniversary, held at the Gyeryongdae military compound in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province, Wednesday. Yonhap
First, the president stressed that South Korea’s armed forces must be restructured into a “smart, elite and powerful military.”
“The answer lies in units equipped with advanced manned–unmanned integrated weapons systems, such as AI combat robots, autonomous drones and ultra-precise, high-performance missiles,” Lee said.
He noted that next year’s defense budget will rise to 66.3 trillion won ($57 billion), up 8.2 percent from the previous year, with investments focused on acquiring cutting-edge weapons systems and transformative technologies including AI, drones and robotics.
“At the same time, based on our steadfast ROK–U.S. alliance, we will recover wartime OPCON so that the Republic of Korea can take the lead in the combined defense posture with the United States,” Lee said. “A firm combined defense capability and posture will contribute not only to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula but also to regional security and shared prosperity.”
Presidential spokesperson Kim Nam-joon said in a press briefing at the presidential office later in the day that what is usually referred to as the “transfer” of wartime OPCON, Lee himself chose to describe as the “restoration" of wartime OPCON.
“This was a phrase the president personally revised. Normally, the term ‘transfer’ emphasizes a change of position or authority. By contrast, ‘restoration’ carries the meaning of returning to an original state. It implies that there is an original position to which we can return — that something is being restored to its rightful place. The president deliberately chose the word ‘restoration’ to highlight this nuance.”
President Lee Jae Myung salutes while riding in a parade vehicle during the Armed Forces Day ceremony marking the 77th anniversary of the founding of South Korea's military, held at the Gyeryongdae military compound in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province, Wednesday. Yonhap
The president also highlighted that South Korea now spends 1.4 times more than North Korea’s GDP on defense, ranks fifth globally in military strength, and is “backed by solidarity and cooperation with like-minded countries, the unwavering ROK–U.S. alliance and a robust nuclear deterrence built upon it.”
He further stressed, “There is no reason to doubt South Korea’s defense capabilities, and even less reason to live in fear.”
Second, the president pledged to actively foster the defense industry as both a pillar of stronger national defense and a driver of economic growth, describing it as “a promising future industry.”
“We will boldly invest in defense technology development and provide comprehensive support to build a robust defense ecosystem, so that the growth of the defense industry becomes a driving force for both national security and economic advancement,” he said.
Third, Lee vowed to improve the treatment of service members by enhancing service conditions and compensation systems, while raising morale to ensure safety and dignity for soldiers.
In his 16-minute address, Lee used the word “people” the most frequently, a total of 31 times, followed by “armed forces” 15 times, “service members” 15 times and “peace” 13 times.