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| Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Kim Seung-kyum visits the Sejong the Great destroyer to check troop readiness, Oct. 26. Yonhap |
South Korea's top military officer called Wednesday for a stern response to a potential North Korean provocation as he visited a Navy destroyer participating in a major defense exercise.
Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Kim Seung-kyum also stressed the importance of tight vigilance, saying it remains unknown "when, from where and how the enemy" will unleash provocations.
"I call on you to take the Hoguk exercise as an opportunity to check the practical combat readiness posture against potential enemy provocations," Kim was quoted by his office as saying during his visit to the Sejong the Great destroyer.
He added, "I instruct you to be equipped with the capabilities and posture to lead your mission to a victory on the ground by effectively using joint forces for a stern response in case of an enemy provocation."
The Hoguk exercise kicked off on Oct. 17 and runs through Friday.
Later in the day, Kim visited the Second Army Corps and checked its readiness posture.
There, he also directed field commanders to respond "sternly" to an enemy provocation "in light of the country's right to self-defense," according to the JCS. (Yonhap)
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