▲ Samjeonggeom Award Ceremony for Brigadier General Promotion (Blue House)

[Republic of Korea Education Newspaper] President Lee Jae-myung attended the '26 Brigadier General Promotion Samjeonggeom Award Ceremony held at the Blue House Guest House this afternoon and awarded the Samjeonggeom to a total of 77 Brigadier General Promotions.

Attending today's ceremony were Brigadier General Park Jeong-hoon, who investigated the 'Marine Corps Chae's death on duty' and resisted undue external pressure, and Brigadier General Kim Moon-sang, who refused to deploy martial law helicopters.

In his remarks, the president urged everyone to faithfully fulfill their original mission of protecting the country and its people with a great sense of responsibility and mission.

He also emphasized that the military must be reborn as an "army for the people" that enjoys the people's infinite trust, and that it must take the lead in restoring the military's tarnished reputation by firmly establishing its duty of political neutrality.

The president also emphasized that the most certain peace means a state without the need for war, and that we must always be prepared to win overwhelmingly. He urged us to build a Republic of Korea that is unrivaled and open the path to peace through this.

He then emphasized that South Korea is a military power ranked 5th in the world in terms of military power, and urged the newly promoted soldiers to develop a sense of self-reliance and the determination to defend their country with their own strength, without relying on anyone else.

Lastly, he emphasized that he would actively lead defense reforms, such as the reorganization of a smart, elite force, based on the valuable experience and leadership of the promoted officers, who are assets of the military, while also commanding with a warm heart and cool-headed reasoning to boost the morale of junior officers and soldiers.

In the group photo that followed, President Lee and the newly promoted soldiers clenched their fists and shouted "Fighting!" President Lee then shook hands with each of the newly promoted soldiers standing nearby, offering his congratulations. He even said, "Special congratulations," to Brigadier General Park Jeong-hoon. The newly promoted soldiers responded with a collective fist pump and a "Thank you."

[News Source: Policy Briefing]