Top military commanders held their biannual meeting on Wednesday to assess the security situation and their readiness, carefully navigating potential changes in North Korea driven by a power struggle in its inner circle.
Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin hosted the meeting attended by 140 military brass across the nation, including Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Choi Yun-hee, heads of the military branches and major operation commanders, to discuss the present security issues.
The meeting took place at a time when Seoul is keeping a watchful eye on Pyongyang after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's uncle, Jang Song-thaek, is believed to have been removed last month from all posts, along with two of his close confidants who were publicly executed.
If confirmed, Jang's ouster would mark the most significant purge at the top of the North Korean leadership since Kim succeeded his late father Kim Jong-il in December 2011.
Major commanders vowed to maintain high vigilance against the communist state to prevent any provocations for its political gains.
"Jang Song-thaek's ouster could give more power to Kim Jong-un and his close aides, which could increase instability in the Pyongyang regime," a senior military official said. "In light of the recent change, calls are rising that (the South Korean military) should prepare not only for provocations but also for an all-out battle."
The meeting also reviewed the operational plans to keep pace with the government's plan to expand the Air Identification Defense Zone (ADIZ) in response to China's establishment of its own ADIZ that includes South Korea's southern territories, according to military officials.
In response to the growing threat posed by North Korea's missile and nuclear program, the participants pledged to speed up establishment of the independent Korea Air and Missile Defense and a pre-emptive missile destruction system by upgrading the current missile defense and acquiring surveillance satellites. (Yonhap)
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