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| ▲ Defense Minister Shin Won-sik (R) hands over an Army flag to new Army Chief of Staff Gen. Park An-su during Park's inauguration ceremony at the Gyeryongdae military headquarters in Gyeryong, 142 kilometers south of Seoul, on Oct. 31, 2023, in this photo provided by the Army. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
defense minister-new military chiefs
Defense minister instructs new military chiefs to build 'overwhelming' defense posture against enemy
SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik called on new top military officers Tuesday to establish a defense posture that "overwhelms" the enemy amid Seoul's efforts to reinforce defense capabilities against North Korean military threats.
Shin made the call during the inauguration ceremonies for new Army Chief of Staff Gen. Park An-su, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Yang Yong-mo and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Young-su at the Gyeryongdae military headquarters in Gyeryong, 142 kilometers south of Seoul.
"We must establish a defense posture that overwhelms the enemy," Shin was quoted as saying during Park's inauguration ceremony. "If the enemy carries out a provocation, punish them immediately, strongly and until the end."
Shin also noted the "grave" security situation faced by South Korea during the ceremonies, citing Pyongyang's nuclear and missile threats, continued trespassing of the South's air defense identification zone by Chinese and Russian aircraft, and tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
In his inauguration speech, Gen. Park pledged to acquire response capabilities that can overwhelm the enemy based on the "firm" South Korea-U.S. alliance.
Adm. Yang vowed to reinforce the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's mantra of "peace through strength" at sea by focusing efforts in employing combat systems that employ both unmanned assets and personnel.
Gen. Lee pledged to make all-out efforts to build a strong and advanced Air Force, while maintaining a "solid" readiness posture.
The inauguration ceremonies came after the defense ministry announced a major reshuffle of top military brass Sunday, which included the promotion and nomination of Adm. Kim Myung-soo as the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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