South Korean President Moon Jae-in, during the celebration of Korean Armed Forces Day, reiterated the need to take back wartime operational control (OPCON) of Korean military from United States-led command structure.
The transfer of wartime operational control was supposedly turned over to South Korea in 2015.
“North Korea will fear us more and the people will have more faith in our military when we have wartime operational control of our military,” Moon said in his speech.
“The transfer of the wartime operational control based on our strong defense capabilities will lead to a great development of our military’s structure and capabilities,” he added.
Moon also noted his government’s resolve in protecting the country and its people.
“Our government’s determination to protect peace requires strong defense capabilities. And we will stand up against reckless provocations with strong punishment,” he said.
“Securing counter capabilities against North Korean nuclear and missile threats is the most urgent task. We must further strengthen our offense-based defense system Kill-Chain and Korean missile defense system,” he added.