Anchor: The military on Wednesday held a ceremony at its main military compound in the central South Korean city of Gyeryong, marking the 77th anniversary of the founding of its armed forces. President Lee Jae Myung attended a troop inspection and pledged to build a "strong, self-reliant" military. He also vowed to thoroughly clear out the vestiges of the Dec. 3 martial law declaration and rebuild a military that upholds the Constitution and serves the public.
Kim Bum-soo has more. 

Report: 

[Sound bite: 77th Armed Forces Day celebration (Gyeryongdae headquarters of Armed Forces)]

Almost ten months after his predecessor's failed martial law bid, President Lee Jae Myung inspected troops at the Gyeryongdae military complex.

At the ceremony marking South Korea's 77th Armed Forces Day on Wednesday, Lee addressed the confusion the military action had brought to the nation.

[Sound bite: President Lee Jae Myung (Korean-English)]
"A very small number of military commanders, forgetting their original mission, sided with the highest power and pointed their guns at the people. Fortunately, the vast majority of military personnel, as citizens in uniform, showed the courage to resist unjust orders, preventing greater tragedy and misfortune."

The commander-in-chief urged the military to regain the trust of the people, saying its honor has declined since his predecessor's ill-fated decision.

[Sound bite: President Lee Jae Myung (Korean-English)]
"Let us all work together to transform our armed forces into a truly trusted force, one that proudly walks the path of honorable service. As the commander-in-chief and president responsible for the people of the Republic of Korea, I will thoroughly erase the remnants of illegal martial law and further strengthen our democratic and institutional foundations to rebuild our military into one that protects the Constitution and the people."

Lee then pledged to build a "strong, self-reliant" military to deal with the evolving security landscape.

[Sound bite: 77th Armed Forces Day celebration (Gyeryongdae headquarters of Armed Forces)]

As Lee promised to boost the nation's defense budget by more than eight percent next year, the military showcased around 40 cutting-edge weapons, including its Hyunmoo-5 bunker busters and Cheongung interceptors, as well as drones and combat robots. 

However, in an apparent effort to improve strained inter-Korean relations, Lee's Armed Forces Day celebration was kept low-key compared to those of his predecessor, who held massive military parades in downtown Seoul.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.