문 대통령 "평화여정에 안보 빈틈 없어야,.. 새로운 한반도 시대 열어갈 것"<br /><br />President Moon says the South Korea needs to beef up its self-defense capabilities while still pursuing peace in the region. <br />In a National Security Council meeting, he also stressed the significance of the inaugural Ulchi Taegeuk drills which started Monday.<br />Shin Se-min has the details. <br />President Moon Jae-in is calling on South Korea to beef up its self-defense capabilities while still pursuing peace in the region. <br />During a National Security Council meeting at the Blue House on Wednesday,... President Moon said there should be no crack in national security despite the ongoing peace drive.<br />"As long as we have the right to choose, the journey toward peace will not be stopped. No matter the difficulties, a new era on the Korean Peninsula will certainly open up."<br />The South Korean leader also expressed gratitude to his North Korean and U.S. counterparts for easing military tensions in the region. <br />Moon touched on the OPCON, or operational control, transition from Washington to Seoul, when speaking about the week-long inaugural civilian-military exercises, dubbed the Ulchi Taegeuk drills, currently under way. <br />"The inaugural military drills combining the existing Ulchi and Taegeuk command post exercises, should be used as a chance to solidify self-reliant defense capabilities, as well as prepare for the transition of OPCON."<br />A South Korean general is set to lead joint military drills with the U.S. in August to test Seoul's readiness for wartime OPCON transfer, this according to ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.<br />The president also said the civilian-government exercise reflects a broader spectrum on national security, including non-military threats like natural disasters and terrorism.<br />Shin Se-min, Arirang News. <br />
