President Lee Jae-myung said on the 1st that his government will "establish a culture and institutions that prevent an illegal insurrection by the military."
Speaking at a ceremony marking the 78th Armed Forces Day, held on the runway at Gyeryongdae in South Chungcheong Province, Lee said, "The foundation we must protect is the people, who hold sovereignty." He added, "I am confident that the military, as the people's armed forces, will uphold the Constitution, strictly observe political neutrality and devote itself solely to its core mission of protecting the lives and safety of the people."
Lee said his administration has worked to clear away what remained of the illegal martial law declaration. "Regrettably, we held those inside the military strictly accountable, and we firmly strengthened the democratic and institutional foundation, including a complete overhaul of military intelligence agencies such as the Defense Counterintelligence Command and the Defense Intelligence Command," he said. He went on to say, "Going forward, we will establish a culture and institutions that allow our military to focus solely on its core mission, so that an illegal insurrection by the military never, under any circumstances, occurs again."
He also urged officers to make every effort to restore public trust and the military's honor, saying, "Starting with commanders, I ask you to make painstaking efforts to swiftly restore the public trust that has collapsed and to set the military's honor right."
