President Lee Jae-myung stated toward North Korea, "I expect and also urge the North to now join the path of restoring trust and resuming severed dialogue."

Speaking at the 78th Armed Forces Day ceremony today (October 1), President Lee said, "Although the knots in inter-Korean relations are intricately tangled, we will continue to untie them step by step with patience."

President Lee emphasized, "The South and the North must find a 'path where both win together' and build trust for peace on the Korean Peninsula," adding, "Trust is not built with a single word. It builds little by little only when words and actions align."

Regarding the recent landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), President Lee said, without directly mentioning North Korea, "My heart still aches when I think of our soldiers who were injured in an unexpected accident in the Demilitarized Zone not long ago."

He continued, "It makes us reflect once more that the ordinary day we enjoy stands upon someone else's peril," adding, "I wish them a swift recovery and extend my deep comfort to their families."

President Lee pledged to fundamentally improve service conditions for service members, mentioning significant increases in basic pay for junior officers and incentives for short-term service non-commissioned officers.

Affirming the principle that "special sacrifice warrants special compensation," he also said, "The more we repay dedication to the state and community with appropriate treatment and honor, the stronger our national security will become."

In his commemorative speech today, President Lee proposed realizing self-reliant national defense through the transfer of wartime operational control, leaping forward as a "smart elite military," and introducing a "selective volunteer military system."

Touching upon the December 3 illegal martial law incident, he also stressed, "To ensure that illegal rebellion by the military never occurs again, we will establish a culture and institutional system allowing our military to concentrate solely on its inherent mission."

(Photo: Yonhap News)