President Lee Jae-myung: "Why feel anxious that we cannot defend ourselves without foreign troops?"

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[The Financial News] President Lee Jae-myung on the 28th urged the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Korea to step up public outreach to counter security fears, saying, "A nation should defend itself. Why depend on others?"
At the meeting, held at the main building of Cheong Wa Dae, Lee told Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, "It seems that some people have been feeling uneasy about military security for various reasons lately."
He added, "What is clear is that South Korea's own military power, excluding USFK, ranks fifth in the world." He also said, "Our annual military spending and defense budget are 1.4 times higher than North Korea's annual gross national product."
Lee continued, "Training is good and morale is high." He stressed that the ultimate measure of military power is economic strength, and said South Korea's economy is in a completely different league. He also noted that the country's defense industry has reached a level where its direct weapons production capacity for exports alone ranks fourth in the world.
He then pointed out, "Why do we keep feeling as if self-defense would be difficult without foreign troops?" Ahn replied, "Some forces tend to incite and encourage that kind of thinking."
Lee said, "Please make sure the public hears more about these objective facts." He added, "We once had difficult times, but that is not the case now, thanks to the outstanding efforts and capabilities of our people." He went on to say, "We must make sure that even a few people do not harbor such anxieties," and added, "We should stand with confidence and naturally take responsibility ourselves."
The meeting also reviewed the ministry's own military capabilities and operational readiness. When Lee asked, "Are you preparing your own military operational capabilities and related measures?" Ahn answered, "We do it every quarter, and we continuously conduct research and development by updating our operational reviews."
Lee emphasized, "We must be fully prepared to defend ourselves, conduct operations, and draw up strategic operational plans." He added, "We need to prepare everything, including tactics and strategy." Ahn explained, "We have also secured various tangible and intangible assets, including a strategic system that can help speed up the return of wartime operational control."
Lee said, "Public outreach and communication that prevent anxiety are also important." He added, "What is already objectively evident should be enough."
Ahn replied, "Our capabilities in every weapons system are being strengthened to between two and 3.5 times North Korea's level." He added, "We have sufficient capabilities and capacity to respond to various security situations."
Lee added, "In the past, people would compare a few fighter jets, a few ships, or a few tanks, but today's weapons and equipment are not even comparable." He said, "We need to make this clear so that such misunderstandings and anxieties do not arise."
west@fnnews.com Sung Seok-woo Reporter