Yoon at Naval Academy Graduation Ceremony: "Build a Strong Naval Force to Establish Peace Through Strength"

Emphasizing True Peace Maintained by Oneself, Not Fake Peace Relying on Peace
Establishing US-ROK Nuclear Planning and Execution System... Realizing an Alliance in Action

President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 10th urged the Navy and Marine Corps to take the lead in building a "strong maritime military power" and realizing "peace through strength."

President Yoon made these remarks while attending the 77th graduation and commissioning ceremony of the Naval Academy held in Jinhae, Gyeongnam, in the afternoon. He stated, "The global security order is facing unprecedented challenges, and the security situation in Northeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula is more severe than ever." First Lady Kim Keon-hee also attended the graduation and commissioning ceremony today.

President Yoon said, "In the face of any challenge, we must protect liberal democracy and achieve peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula," adding, "To do so, strong national defense capabilities must be supported above all. Only then can we build 'true peace' that protects national security by our own strength, not a 'false peace' that relies on the goodwill of others."

Earlier, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of National Defense briefings in January, President Yoon criticized the previous Moon Jae-in administration’s efforts toward inter-Korean reconciliation, saying, "Countries that relied on goodwill-based, unsustainable, temporary false peace have historically disappeared, while countries that pursued 'peace through strength' by securing security readiness have developed their civilizations and contributed to human society."

He continued, "Regarding North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, we will establish a Korea-U.S. nuclear planning and execution system to further strengthen extended deterrence," and explained, "We will build overwhelming response capabilities and retaliation postures, including the Korean-style 3-axis system. We will also strengthen Korea-U.S. joint exercises and training to realize an 'alliance that acts.'"

President Yoon also urged, "Our military must innovate into a combat-ready strong force capable of effectively responding to North Korea’s asymmetric threats and winning in future battlefield environments," adding, "To this end, we must optimize the military structure to effectively integrate and operate forces across various domains and enhance the efficiency of the command system."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He also mentioned examples of strengthening combat capabilities, such as the launching of the Jeongjo the Great, a next-generation Aegis destroyer built with domestic technology last year and recognized as one of the world’s best, and the establishment of a maritime manned-unmanned complex combat system.

In particular, he promised, "We will drastically improve the power enhancement system so that advanced forces can be introduced swiftly, and soldiers must devote themselves to practical combat training focused on combat missions while maintaining a firm adversary awareness," adding, "Along with this, we will boldly improve the military service environment." He also ordered that through military innovation, our armed forces will be reborn as a "strong military that instills fear in enemies and trust in the people."

Furthermore, he expressed gratitude and emphasized veterans’ affairs for the Navy and Marine Corps, who protected the Republic of Korea amid North Korea’s provocations and threats in past conflicts such as the Korean War, the Battle of Yeonpyeong, the Battle of Daecheong, and the Yeonpyeong Island shelling, and who played significant roles in the Aden Bay Dawn Operation and the recovery efforts from Typhoon Hinnamnor.

President Yoon promised, "As the commander-in-chief, I will do my best to support you who have chosen dedication and honor so that you can devote yourselves to the noble mission of defending the homeland," and added, "Together with the people, we will build a Republic of Korea where uniformed heroes are respected and honored."

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