Lee presides over Daeho Kim Jong-seo warship launch, vows to secure 'core forces for self-reliant defense'

President Lee Jae Myung presided over the launching ceremony of the Navy's newest Aegis destroyer, the Daeho Kim Jong-seo, on Wednesday, saying South Korea will "steadily build up the core forces for self-reliant defense, including nuclear-powered submarines and carriers for manned and unmanned assets."

Speaking at the ceremony Wednesday afternoon in Ulsan, Lee said the government "will also actively work to improve the treatment and service conditions of Navy personnel so they can focus solely on their mission."

Lee traced the ship's origins to a decision made 24 years ago to build Aegis destroyers with domestic technology. "The first vessel was the Sejong the Great, and today the Daeho Kim Jong-seo marks the final chapter of that long journey," he said. He explained that the ship is named after Gen. Kim Jong-seo, a military commander of the Sejong era who pushed northward to the Tumen River and established the Six Garrisons — earning the nickname "Tiger of Baekdusan."

"We sincerely celebrate, together with all 52 million people of the Republic of Korea, the launching of the Daeho Kim Jong-seo — the Navy's newest Aegis destroyer, carrying on the general's valor and spirit," Lee said.

Lee said the warship launched Wednesday was "designed with our own technology and built by our own hands," adding that South Korea had moved beyond an era of borrowing and buying military hardware from abroad. "The Republic of Korea has now become a nation that designs, builds and operates world-class warships entirely on its own," he said.

He said South Korea must defend its own seas, skies and land by its own strength. "Security that leans on the power of others will waver whenever that country's circumstances change. Self-reliant defense is sovereignty itself," he said. He added that the government would press forward toward realizing a self-reliant defense, drawing on the resolve embodied in the Daeho Kim Jong-seo.

Lee recalled that half a century ago, the Mipo area of Ulsan was nothing but sand and sea wind. "The shipbuilding industry that started on that beach now produces everything from the notoriously difficult LNG carriers to Aegis destroyers the world envies," he said. He pledged that the government would not stop there, promising active support to help the shipbuilding industry maintain its commanding lead and rise further. He also vowed to make the sector a new growth engine for both the national economy and regional economies.

Lee also said the defense industry "has not only protected our security but has now become a core driver of the South Korean economy." He pledged to expand opportunities for academia and businesses to conduct research and invest alongside the military, streamline complex procedures, broaden support and accelerate the fielding of new technologies.

The ceremony drew about 350 attendees, including the president and first lady, senior government and military officials, lawmakers, local government heads, diplomatic envoys, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries executives and defense industry representatives, students from the Ulsan area, and master craftspeople recognized by the government. Government attendees included Defense Minister Kang Shin-cheol, Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, First Deputy National Security Adviser Kang Geon-jak and Defense Affairs Secretary Kwak Tae-sin.