SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday reaffirmed his commitment to regaining wartime operational control (OPCON) of troops from the United States before his term ends, stressing the importance of self-reliant defense capabilities.

The president reiterated the commitment during a Cabinet meeting, saying the OPCON transfer should be completed during his term, as the government initially planned.

The president also instructed officials to speed up the implementation of a project to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, saying that independent defense capabilities and a strong alliance between Seoul and Washington should complement each other.

pbr@yna.co.kr

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