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President Lee Jae-myung delivers remarks during a joint State Council and Emergency Economic Review Meeting held at the Blue House on May 26. / Photo via Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung emphasized on May 26 that the government must "swiftly proceed with the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) without a hitch to drive the healthy development of the ROK-US alliance."

President Lee made the remarks during a State Council meeting at the Blue House in the morning, noting, "Only when we possess a firm commitment to self-reliant national defense will our partners respect us and our alliances remain steadfast."

"In addition to our military capabilities, we must robustly construct a close, multilateral security network through pragmatic diplomacy centered on our national interests," President Lee stated. "While winning a war is important, the effort to build a peace that prevents war from breaking out in the first place is also critical."

He added, "Above all, what matters most is a resolute posture that we will take full responsibility for and safeguard our own national security."

President Lee iterated, "Moving beyond fighting and winning, true competence lies in creating a peace where there is no need to fight. We will pool all national resources into reinforcing our defense capabilities."

Ordering a swift transition into a "future-oriented, high-tech military," President Lee stressed, "We must accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence and drone technologies, while picking up the pace in introducing nuclear-powered submarines, a core strategic asset for our future defense capabilities."

Furthermore, President Lee noted, "We must concentrate national capabilities on nurturing K-defense, the foundation of advanced national defense, by continuously expanding research and development (R&D) budgets, localizing critical components, and strengthening public-private partnership systems." He added, "We must also spur the cultivation of innovative future security enterprises that will lead the global market in sectors such as robotics, drones, and space."

                                                                                                              Hong Sun-mi