Lee hits 10 for 10 with K2A1 rifle in first presidential live-fire drill at Yeonpyeong unit

Also fires K15 machine gun, hitting 25% of targets; pledges to rearm military with advanced technology; warns against tolerating Chinese illegal fishing near NLL

President Lee Jae Myung boards a K9A1 self-propelled howitzer and aims a K-6 heavy machine gun during his visit to the Marine Corps' Yeonpyeong unit in Ongjin-gun, Incheon, on Wednesday. [Yonhap]

President Lee Jae Myung visited the Marine Corps' Yeonpyeong unit on Wednesday to encourage troops and became the first sitting president to fire live rounds — hitting all 10 shots with a K2A1 automatic rifle and also taking aim with a K15 machine gun. He pledged to rearm the military with cutting-edge technology and promised greater investment in the armed forces.

Cheong Wa Dae chief spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing that Lee visited the Yeonpyeong unit to encourage troops serving in a remote frontline post and to inspect the military's readiness posture.

President Lee Jae Myung fires a K15 light machine gun during his visit to the Marine Corps' Yeonpyeong unit in Ongjin-gun, Incheon, on Wednesday. [Yonhap]

The visit was the first by a sitting president to the Yeonpyeong unit in 14 years, since President Lee Myung-bak went in 2012. Kang said the trip reflected Lee's determination to personally encourage the unit's personnel, who carry out their defense duties around the clock under the most demanding conditions.

Lee inspected seven mobile and firepower assets at the unit, including K-9 self-propelled howitzers and Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers, and received a briefing on their status. After hearing explanations of the specifications and capabilities of the K1E1 tank and Spike missile system, he asked whether those weapons were exclusive to the Marine Corps or also used by the Army, and expressed interest in the results of defense exports.

Lee also climbed aboard a K9A1 self-propelled howitzer, one of South Korea's top-performing weapons in overseas defense markets.

President Lee Jae Myung delivers remarks at a luncheon with troops during his visit to the Marine Corps' Yeonpyeong unit in Ongjin-gun, Incheon, on Wednesday. [Yonhap]

At a luncheon that followed, Lee promised greater investment in the military and improved benefits for service members, and listened to their concerns. He joined about 80 Marine officers and enlisted personnel in the mess hall for a meal of bulgogi, yukgaejang (spicy beef stew), kimchi and watermelon.

"You are working so hard on the front lines. It is thanks to your sacrifice and dedication that our people can go about their daily lives in peace," Lee said. "I think you may feel a little wronged. Our government will try to create many policies to minimize that sense of grievance."

He added that the military must undergo major changes, particularly by rearming with advanced science and technology. "In that process, the role of our service members will be reborn — different from the past — as specialist soldiers and specialist officers who operate advanced weapons systems, so that the time you spend in the military is not wasted but can fully serve you when you return to civilian life. I will change the military system to make that happen," he said.

Lee also pledged to reduce the number of conscripts and expand a volunteer system so that people can choose the military as a career, reaffirming commitments he said had been made on multiple previous occasions.

On the decision to raise the defense budget to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product, he said the funds would not be squandered but used to strengthen the capabilities of military personnel and create new opportunities and hope for young people.

Troops also shared their own concerns with the president. Sergeant Noh Yeong-rae, who said he was five days from discharge, drew laughter when he pleaded for the military entertainment program "Wimun Yeolcha" — a Defense TV troop-support show — to be sent to Yeonpyeong Island, saying he would not be there to see it himself but hoped it would come for the junior soldiers still serving. Lee turned to Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek and instructed him to look into arranging a visit.

Senior officers also raised hardships. Master Sergeant Ahn U-hui said medical access was severely limited on the island — boats and helicopters sometimes cannot operate due to bad weather, and CT equipment goes unused because there is no radiologist military doctor on site — and asked that sick troops be able to receive prompt care.

Lee sympathized, saying public, essential and regional healthcare were all overstretched, and asked the Defense Ministry to ensure that mobile medical rounds reached the island without fail.

President Lee Jae Myung greets troops during his visit to the Marine Corps' Yeonpyeong unit in Ongjin-gun, Incheon, on Wednesday. [Yonhap]

Lee also took part in live-fire drills during the visit. Firing a K2A1 automatic rifle loaded with live rounds, he hit all 10 targets. Spokesperson Kang told him, "You're a sharpshooter."

Lee then fired the K15 machine gun, hitting 5 of 20 targets. A military official said, "That's 25 percent — for a first time, that's quite good." Lee replied, "The weapon seems to perform excellently."

As his final stop, Lee visited the Yeonpyeong Peace Observatory, where he observed Chinese fishing vessels conducting illegal operations near the Northern Limit Line and said, "We cannot simply leave this unattended."

President Lee Jae Myung receives a briefing on border operations at the Yeonpyeong Peace Observatory in Ongjin-gun, Incheon, on Wednesday. [Yonhap]

Watching the Chinese vessels anchored off Yeonpyeong Island, Lee asked whether they were positioned north or south of the NLL, how many there were in total, and why Chinese fishing boats were concentrated in the West Sea in particular, unlike in the East Sea.

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac explained that enforcement was difficult because North Korea could fire on Chinese vessels crossing its side of the line, and South Korean patrol ships pursuing the boats risked crossing the NLL themselves.

Lee said it was unacceptable for Chinese — not North Korean — vessels to come to the NLL area and stir up disputes, and expressed concern that illegal fishing by Chinese boats along the line was harming South Korean fishermen.

He then instructed Wi to discuss possible solutions, saying, "This is not something we can just leave alone — isn't it too brazen in broad daylight?"

moone@heraldcorp.com