Anchor: South Korea marked the 71st Armed Forces Day on Tuesday with a ceremony highlighting the military's capabilities and readiness, punctuated by the first public unveiling of its new fleet of next-generation F-35A fighter jets. Speaking at the event, President Moon Jae-in vowed to further enhance the country's defense capabilities.
Choi You Sun has the details.

Report: Some two-thousand-500 people, including one-thousand-500 members of the South Korean Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps attended a ceremony marking the 71st Armed Forces Day at a key Air Force base in Daegu. The theme of the event was "Strong Armed Forces Alongside the People."

President Moon Jae-in arrived in a domestically-developed Surion helicopter, demonstrating the advancement of the country's defense industry.

The ceremony offered the first public glimpse at four of South Korea’s recently acquired F-35A stealth fighters, three of which conducted a ceremonial flyby along with F-15K fighters, patrol planes and tankers.

The fourth was on display alongside other military assets, such as advanced capability Patriot missiles and Hyunmoo-2 short-range ballistic missiles, which were inspected by the president.

Since March, South Korea has brought in eight of the radar-evading high-tech F-35As and plans to have 40 by 2021 to boost operational capabilities and strengthen the readiness posture against threats from all directions.

Speaking at the ceremony, Moon vowed to further bolster South Korea's defense capabilities, calling it a driving force behind efforts to establish lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Saying peace is not kept, but made, Moon said the military's ironclad security measures support dialogue and cooperation with North Korea and enable the country's peace efforts.

Moon reaffirmed that a top priority of his is completing the so-called Defense Reform 2.0 project, which includes equipping the military with a more accurate missile defense system, new submarines, a quasi-aircraft carrier and spy satellites.

The president also pledged to improve working conditions for South Korea's Armed Forces and to provide job support so that their uniforms symbolize pride and self-respect.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.