This file photo, provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on April 29, 2025, shows JCS Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo (C) inspecting a military unit in an unspecified location. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 8 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s top military officer on Thursday called for maintaining “overwhelming” readiness against North Korean threats, hours after Pyongyang’s launch of ballistic missiles into the East Sea, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
JCS Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo made the call as he visited the Air Force’s 20th Fighter Wing in Seosan, about 98 kilometers southwest of Seoul, after the North fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles into the waters.
“While recognizing evolving enemy threats through the Russia-Ukraine war, (you) must maintain readiness to overwhelmingly punish any enemy provocation,” Kim said as he was briefed on the unit’s operations.
North Korea has deployed troops in support of Russia’s war against Ukraine and is suspected to have received military technology assistance from Moscow in return, as well as gained experience in modern warfare.
Kim’s visit also took place after the military recently conducted an inspection into the Air Force for possible lapses in its operational discipline following an accidental fighter jet bombing of a civilian town in March and a mistaken mid-air release of aircraft equipment last month.
The Air Force has blamed pilot error for both incidents, which have raised questions over the military branch’s broader readiness posture.
(Yonhap)
