▲ A joint team comprised of military officials and citizens puts on a taekwondo performance during the Armed Forces Day event in the military headquarters of Gyeryongdae, located some 120 kilometers south of Seoul, in this Oct. 1, 2025, file photo. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Thursday celebrated the 78th anniversary of the founding of its armed forces, unveiling a range of advanced military equipment, including its laser-based anti-drone system, to the public for the first time.

The Armed Forces Day event kicked off on the runway of the military headquarters in Gyeryong, some 145 kilometers south of Seoul, involving some 3,600 personnel and around 70 pieces of military equipment, according to the defense ministry.

This year, the military will showcase two laser-based anti-drone air defense systems, dubbed Cheongwang, in a demonstration of their ability to intercept drones.

The anti-drone systems, which are capable of precisely striking small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), will be unveiled to the public for the first time.

Other assets being displayed for the first time include drone swarms powered by artificial intelligence (AI), multipurpose unmanned ground vehicles and counter-drone interceptor UAVs.

During the event, the government plans to award the Chungmu Order of Military Merit to late Lt. Col. Kim Oh-rang and late Ssg. Jung Seon-yeop for their roles against the 1979 military coup led by then Maj. Gen. Chun Doo-hwan. They were both shot to death while fighting against rebelling forces during the Dec. 12 military coup.

This year's event was designed to be held in tandem with various cultural events planned by the military, including the Army's largest cultural festival slated from Thursday to Monday.

The Air Force's Black Eagles aerobatic team is also scheduled to perform later in the day.

The government plans to expand the Armed Forces Day event with major events of the Navy, Air Force, and the Marine Corps to highlight the distinct characteristics of each military branch and the self-reliant national defense capabilities to the public.

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