Calling on Military to Increase Readiness, South Korean Defense Minister: If North Korea Provokes, Respond

Illustration of South Korean artillery training (Wikimedia Commons 대한민국 국군 Republic of Korea Armed Forces 3)

JAKARTA - Defense Minister Shin Won-sik called on his military to increase readiness to anticipate North Korea, during his first visit to frontline military units.

Shin took office last Saturday. During the visit, he received a briefing on the Army's 1st Infantry Division border operations in Paju, just south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

"In the past, North Korea carried out large-scale provocations two or three years after our government took office," Shin was quoted as saying, according to The Korea Times, October 10.

If North Korea provokes, Minister Shin said, "First, respond immediately. Second, respond strongly. Third, respond thoroughly."

Last week, President Yoon Suk-yeol vowed to defend his country against North Korean provocations, strengthening its ability to respond "immediately and to the fullest extent possible."

It is known that Shin is a member of parliament from the People's Power Party. The retired three-star Army general is known for his expertise in defense policy and military operations.

He served as Head of the Ministry of Defense's Policy Planning Bureau in 2011 and 2012, before leading the Main Directorate of Operations of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) from October 2013 to April 2015.

Shin ended his military career as deputy chairman of the JCS before retiring in January 2016.