For the first time in 10 years, Demonstration of Armed Forces in large-scale troops and high-tech equipment

President Yoon Seok-yeol presided over an event commemorating the 75th Armed Forces Day held at Seoul Airport and the Gwanghwamun area on the 26th.

This commemorative ceremony and street parade, which were held on a large scale for the first time in 10 years since 2013, showed off the might of the Armed Forces both at home and abroad.

This year’s Armed Forces Day celebration event was held on a large scale with approximately 6,700 troops and 200 pieces of equipment participating, and South Sudan’s Hanbit Unit and UAE’s Arc Unit, which are stationed overseas, also attended the event via video.

In particular, the street parade held in the area from Sungnyemun to Gwanghwamun on this afternoon was held as a ‘march with the people’ for the first time in history, in which the president marched from the statue of King Sejong to the Yookjo Madang along with the general public, military service members, and invited guests.

Additionally, in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the ROK-U.S. alliance, the largest-ever number of U.S. troops stationed in Korea participated in this event, showing both domestically and internationally the solidity of the ROK-U.S. combined defense posture.

Previously, only the U.S. Forces Korea honor guard and military band participated, but combat unit troops and equipment also participated in this event.

The latest equipment, such as the long-range surface-to-air missile (L-SAM) and the domestically produced next-generation light armed helicopter (LAH), which are the core of the Korean three-axis system participated this time, were developed based on cutting-edge science and technology.

At the event, a large number of people from all walks of life, including symbolic greetings of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Army, 70th anniversary of the ROK-US alliance, and 70th anniversary of the Armistice Agreement, veterans and descendants of the Korean War, veterans of local and current operations, veterans’ organizations, key military officials, and foreign troops, etc. He attended the event and made a splash.

In particular, General Kim Doo-man, the 11th Chief of Staff of the Air Force, who played a leading role in the establishment of the Air Force, and Son Myeong-won, son of the late Admiral Son Won-il, the 5th Minister of National Defense, who played a leading role in the creation of the Navy, attended to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Armed Forces.

In addition, about 30 Korean War veterans and their families from 20 countries, along with the granddaughter of Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, who represented the U.S. at the signing of the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty, and the granddaughter of UN Commander Mark Wayne Clark, who attended the signing of the Armistice Agreement, were invited. It added meaning to the 70th anniversary of the ROK-US alliance and armistice agreement.

In addition, soldiers of merit who responded resolutely to North Korea’s armed provocations, such as the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong and the Yeonpyeong Island Bombardment, attended and reflected on the ROK Armed Forces’ strong belief and will to protect the lives and property of the people under any circumstances.

The 75th Anniversary of Korea Armed Forces Day Parade, September 26, 2023. Gwanghwamun, Jongno-gu, Seoul. KOCIS (Korean Culture and Information Service). Official Photographer : JEON HAN

At the commemoration ceremony, the President expressed deep respect to the martyred soldiers and heroes who have protected the Republic of Korea from external invasions and threats, emphasized an overwhelming response to North Korea’s provocations, and said, “Only a strong military guarantees true peace.” said.

The President emphasized, “If North Korea uses nuclear weapons, we will put an end to the North Korean regime through an overwhelming response from the ROK-US alliance,” adding, “Looking at our military, which has grown into a powerful force in the world that brings fear to the enemy and trust to the people, the ROK military “I feel overwhelming pride as commander-in-chief,” he said.

The after-dinner event featured a congratulatory flight by the Air Force’s special flight team, the Black Eagles, a Taekwondo demonstration by a joint special forces martial arts team made up of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps special forces, and tactical maneuvers by an Apache helicopter.

The division that followed started with the combined arms command and proceeded in the following order: division of the foot unit, division of the rotary wing aerial division, division of the equipment unit, and division of the fixed wing aerial division.

In the equipment division, the main equipment of the Korean three-axis system, such as Patriot, Cheongung, L-SAM, and Hyunmoo missiles, were revealed, and in the fixed-wing aerial division, a large-scale formation flight of major Korean Air Force fighter aircraft such as the F-35A and F-15K was held. .

President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee encourage soldiers after a ceremony to mark the 75th Anniversary of Korea Armed Forces Day in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do on September 26, 2023. Office of the President. Official Photographer : Kang Min Seok (https://flic.kr/p/2p5AN9J, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 )

In the afternoon, a street parade was held in the area between Sungnyemun and Gwanghwamun. About 7,000 invitees, including military service members, reservist groups, military families, supporters, and ordinary citizens (those who applied in advance), attended the site.

With the slogan of the combined arms commander (Army Lieutenant General Park An-soo), about 3,700 foot troops and equipment troops including the main equipment of the three-axis system marched. The Navy’s next-generation Aegis destroyer, the King Jeongjo, also participated in the march using augmented reality (AR).

This is the first time that the integrated capabilities of the Army, Navy, and Air Force are being showcased in a street parade in the middle of Seoul.

At the end of the event, the President expressed his endless trust in the military as the Commander-in-Chief of the military and asked the public to show full interest and support for our military.