President Lee: “Global security is complex... Self-reliant defense is the core of integrated security”

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According to The Financial News, President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea stated on the 23rd, “National defense is a core responsibility that must never be entrusted to anyone else. We ourselves must bear the complete and final responsibility,” adding, “No matter what situation we face, we must be able to protect ourselves, on our own, without receiving help from anyone.”
Presiding over the 59th meeting of the Central Integrated Defense Council at Cheong Wa Dae, Lee said, “I believe that self-reliant defense is, in the end, the most important core of integrated national defense.”
First convened in 1968, the Central Integrated Defense Council meets annually, bringing together key officials responsible for different elements of national defense to assess the integrated defense posture and discuss ways to improve it. This was the first time Lee has chaired the council since taking office as president.
During the meeting, Lee repeatedly underscored the importance of self-reliant defense. He stressed, “Only when we can defend ourselves even without any external support, and we do in fact have more than enough capability to do so, can we be truly secure,” adding, “This is the time when we must have firm confidence in ourselves.”
He went on, “There are statistics showing that our annual defense spending in absolute terms is about 1.4 times the annual gross national product of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). In addition, our military strength is rated fifth in the world in international assessments, and our economic power ranks within the global top ten,” he noted.
“On top of that, our defense industry is also so powerful that it is the envy of the world. Taking all these factors together, we must have confidence in ourselves and establish and refine systems that will allow us to protect ourselves under any adverse conditions,” he said.
He added, “Our government, grounded in the sovereignty of the people, will dramatically strengthen our integrated defense capabilities and posture.”
The meeting drew attention as it was held amid growing uncertainty stemming from instability in the Middle East. Lee said, “I believe that protecting the safety of our people, safeguarding their peaceful daily lives under any circumstances, and ensuring the continuity of the state is the very reason for the government’s existence and the most important core duty entrusted to all public officials.” He continued, “Today’s international security environment is more complex than ever. We must respond with utmost vigilance not only to military threats, but also to non-military threats such as cyberattacks, terrorism, the climate crisis, and disasters.” He emphasized, “Only when all elements of national defense—civilians, government, military, police, and fire services—can respond in perfect unison like a single body in a contingency can we truly protect the nation and its people. It is important for each actor to build expertise and capability, but it is equally crucial to establish an organic system of cooperation among them.”
cjk@fnnews.com Choi Jong-geun Reporter