President Lee Jae-myung told the Ministry of Unification that it must "continue its policies of peace and coexistence, even though it may be difficult."

Presiding over the policy briefings for the Ministry of Unification, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, and Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs at the Blue House, President Lee encouraged officials by saying, "(Given the lack of response from North Korea), the Ministry of Unification may feel like it is shouting into an empty canyon with no echo. It will likely be quite tough," while offering these words of encouragement.

President Lee diagnosed the situation, stating, "(With North Korea), we have fought a war and share blood ties. Relations have fluctuated between good and bad, but they are in a very poor state these days. Much like human relationships, intergovernmental relations accumulate history, which can be seen as karma. Having lived for a long time under strategies of hostility, disregard, and confrontation, it is difficult for relations to improve overnight."

He added, "Even so, if we approach it with the attitude of 'I'll go my own way and you go yours,' it will ultimately inflict harm upon the national community."

However, President Lee also urged caution, noting, "At the same time, because this aspect is sometimes politically or strategically exploited, we must be very careful. Inadvertently, a single term often becomes the subject of political strife."

Turning to the Ministry of National Defense, President Lee emphasized that readiness must not be allowed to slip, stating, "While national defense is the most crucial task as the ultimate physical force defending the nation from external aggression, it is also an area that can sometimes be overlooked."

President Lee explained, "There is an old story about how the finest mulberry wood arrows were stored, but as peace persisted, they were gradually replaced with bamboo and reeds, leaving nothing of use when a war actually broke out. I am not saying our military is like that, but it is a sector vulnerable to such risks."

Urging vigilance, President Lee remarked, "Although corruption has decreased significantly, issues regarding military discipline still seem to arise. Wasn't there a recent controversy over soldiers on guard duty without loaded magazines? If we retreat step by step on matters of military discipline, we could eventually reach a situation where there is not a single arrow left in the armory."

Remarks were also made regarding independent defense issues, such as the wartime operational control (OPCON).

President Lee stated, "Independent defense, protecting our country with our own strength without outside help, is our greatest task. Naturally, we must exercise military command, which is a part of our sovereignty, by ourselves."

He further noted, "It is unimaginable that the South Korean military does not operate under the command of the Minister of National Defense, who receives orders from the President as the Commander-in-Chief. Normalization is an important task."

(Photo provided by the Cheong Wa Dae Press Corps, Yonhap News)