ULSAN — President Lee Jae-myung said on the 30th that "security that leans on the strength of others wavers along with it whenever that country's circumstances or situation change," stressing that "only when we can defend ourselves can we decide our own future."
Lee made the remarks at the launching ceremony for the Aegis destroyer Kim Jong-seo, held in Ulsan the same day, declaring that "self-reliant defense is sovereignty itself." He noted that "19 years ago, right here in Ulsan's Mipo Bay, the Sejong the Great, our navy's first Aegis ship, powerfully set out to sea." He added: "President Roh Moo-hyun, who stood on this very platform, said, 'I had a fine speech prepared, but my heart is so full that I cannot read it properly.' Standing today before this proud warship that will firmly guard our seas, I think I understand a little of how he felt."
He went on to say that "it was 24 years ago that we decided to build Aegis ships with our own hands," adding that "the first of those ships was the Sejong the Great, and today the Kim Jong-seo puts a period on that long journey." He also said he "sincerely congratulates the entire nation on the launch of the Kim Jong-seo."
Lee stressed that "the ship we are launching today was designed with our own independent technology and built with our own hands." He added: "There was a time when we borrowed, and a time when we bought. But the Republic of Korea has now become a country that designs, builds and operates world-class warships on its own."
He also said that "our seas must be defended by our own strength," adding that "the same goes for our skies and our land."
