The Korea Times close
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
Entertainment
& Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
Sports
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
Video
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Fri, August 12, 2022 | 06:02
-------------------------
Park calls for military readiness against NK provocations
朴대통령 "北, 어떤 도발할지 예측못해…대비 철저유지"
Posted : 2015-06-30 16:19
Updated : 2015-06-30 18:00
Print Preview
Font Size Up
Font Size Down
President Park Geun-hye claps during a meeting with Defense Minister Han Min-koo, third from right, and top military commanders at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday./ Yonhap
President Park Geun-hye claps during a meeting with Defense Minister Han Min-koo, third from right, and top military commanders at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday.
/ Yonhap

By Kang Seung-woo


President Park Geun-hye ordered the military Tuesday to maintain a tight readiness posture amid growing threats from North Korea.

Park attended a luncheon with some 70 military leaders at Cheong Wa Dae, including Defense Minister Han Min-koo, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Choi Yun-hee and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti.

"Currently, North Korea has ratcheted up tensions (on the Korean Peninsula) and it is strengthening the reign of terror internally, so its provocations are unpredictable," Park said in the meeting.

"I hope that the military will remain vigilant against a possible provocation."

Her remarks came as the Kim Jong-un regime has ramped up tensions here.

In May, Pyongyang, which threatened to strike South Korean naval ships intruding on its self-proclaimed territorial waters, kept Seoul on its toes after announcing its testing of an alleged submarine-launched ballistic missile.

In addition, the North shocked the international community as well as its southern neighbor with its execution of Defense Minister Hyon Yong-chol for showing disloyalty to its leader. It also continues to use provocations and limited attacks, challenging the security and stability of the region with the likes of unusual night-time firing drills near the tense western sea border with the South.

Park said that a tight defense posture could enable peaceful unification for future generations.

"Although it has been 70 years since the nation's liberation from the Japanese colonial rule (in 1945), we are still suffering from the division of South and North Korea. We are obliged to hand Korean reunification down to descendants," she said.

"In order to do this, we should maintain war deterrence against the North, based on a firm security posture and indomitable defense capabilities, and they will contribute to the North changing its ways of dealing with the outside world and paving the way for reunification."

Park gave credit to the military for its efforts in keeping peace here and other duties.

"Since the inauguration of the government (in February 2013), inter-Korean tensions have continued, but the military's water-tight readiness posture and strong ROK (Republic of Korea)-U.S. alliance helped to maintain peace," the President said.

"Along with its commitment to the security, they performed various duties, including evacuating Koreans in war-torn Libya and Yemen and responding to the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)."

Park also called for drastic and fundamental military culture reform, adding that corruption and other problems in the military are equivalent to the country being convulsed with such issues.

The military is making efforts to reform the rigid military culture following a series of tragic incidents at the barracks last year that revealed the military's decades-old ill practice of bullying and assaults.


朴대통령 "北, 어떤 도발할지 예측못해…대비 철저유지"

'군이 흔들리면 나라가 흔들려…과감하고도 근본적 혁신해내야'
전군 주요지휘관 70여명 청와대로 초청해 오찬

박근혜 대통령은 30일 '지금 북한은 잠수함 발사 탄도 미사일 사출시험 등 위협을 계속하고 있고 내부적으로도 공포정치가 계속되면서 어떤 도발을 할지 예측할 수 없는 상태'라고 말했다.

박 대통령은 이날 청와대에서 전군 주요 지휘관과 오찬을 하고 '항시도 긴장을 늦추지 말고 철저한 대비태세를 유지해주길 바란다'며 이같이 밝혔다.

박 대통령은 '광복으로부터 70년이라는 긴 시간이 흘렀지만 아직 이 땅에는 분단의 상처와 고통이 남아있다'면서 '우리한테는 분단의 역사를 마감하고 진정한 광복이라고 할 수 있는 한반도 통일 시대를 후손들에게 물려줘야 할 역사적 사명이 주어져 있다'고 말했다.

이어 '이를 위해 탄탄한 안보태세와 굳건한 방위역량으로 압도적 전쟁 억지력을 유지하면서 한반도의 평화를 지켜가는 것이 중요하다'면서 '그 바탕 위에서만이 북한의 올바른 변화를 이끌어 낼 수 있고 평화 통일의 기반을 구축해 나갈 수 있을 것'이라고 강조했다.

박 대통령은 '정부 출범 이후 남북 긴장이 계속 돼 왔지만, 우리 군의 빈틈없는 대비태세와 강력한 한미 연합 전력이 있었기에 평화를 지킬 수 있었다'면서 '군이 우리 안보를 위해 헌신했을 뿐 아니라 리비아, 예멘 등지에서 우리 국민의 철수작전을 성공적으로 지원했고 에볼라 긴급구호는 물론 중동호흡기증후군(메르스) 대응과정에서도 군의 인력, 의료 인력이 큰 역할을 해줬다'고 말했다.

박 대통령은 또 '최근 우리 군이 진행하는 병영문화 혁신과 일련의 쇄신 작업도 지휘관 여러분의 노력에 성패가 달렸다'면서 '군이 흔들리고 여러 가지 비리와 쇄신 문제가 있다면 나라가 흔들리는 것과 다름없다'고 지적했다.

이어 '그렇기 때문에 지휘관 여러분이 앞장서 과감하고도 근본적 혁신을 반드시 해 내길 바란다'면서 '강한 정신력이야말로 어떤 전력보다 중요한 만큼 우리 장병들이 철저한 국가관과 애국심을 갖고 군 생활을 할 수 있도록 각별히 신경써주길 바란다'고 당부했다.

한민구 국방부 장관은 '저희 국군 장병은 확고한 전투준비태세를 유지해서 적의 도발을 억제하고 만약 적이 도발한다면 신속하고 정확하고 단호하게 응징해 도발의 대가를 뼈저리게 느끼도록 할 것'이라면서 '감히 도발 엄두를 내지 못하도록 하겠다'고 밝혔다.

이날 오찬에는 한 장관 외에 최윤희 합참의장과 육해공군 참모총장, 커티스 스캐퍼로티 한미연합사령관 등 70여명이 참석했다.

박 대통령은 2013년 취임 후 매년 각 군 주요지휘관 초청 오찬 행사를 진행하고 있다. (연합뉴스)
Emailksw@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
LG
  • Hydrogen bus trial service begins in Busan, Ulsan, South Gyeongsang Province megacity
  • Vacationers warned not to buy marijuana cookies in Thailand
  • Seoul City to phase out semi-basements as dwellings
  • Korean firms asked to consult with indigenous peoples prior to searching for renewable energy resources
  • Convenience stores offer unconventional products for Chuseok
  • Defense minister refutes China's claim on THAAD
  • Korean builders desperate for oil money
  • Internet banks perform poorly in board gender diversity
  • Yoon holds first meeting with USFK chief since inauguration
  • Solo Leveling artist's death sheds light on webtoon creators' working condition
  • Interactive News
  • With tough love,
  • 'Santa dogs' help rebuild burnt forests in Andong
  • 'Santa dogs' help rebuild burnt forests in Andong
  • A tale of natural wine
    • Death of young webtoon artist sparks controversy over harsh working conditions Death of young webtoon artist sparks controversy over harsh working conditions
    • 'Good Doctor' director to debut Netflix's high-strung suspense series, 'A Model Family' 'Good Doctor' director to debut Netflix's high-strung suspense series, 'A Model Family'
    • Musical 'Kinky Boots' tells people to love themselves as they are Musical 'Kinky Boots' tells people to love themselves as they are
    • Crime thriller 'Limit' is about mother's quest to save abducted son Crime thriller 'Limit' is about mother's quest to save abducted son
    • From P1Harmony to Zico, K-pop hotshots to perform in Abu Dhabi next month From P1Harmony to Zico, K-pop hotshots to perform in Abu Dhabi next month
    DARKROOM
    • Ice is melting, land is burning

      Ice is melting, land is burning

    • Tottenham 6-3 Team K League

      Tottenham 6-3 Team K League

    • Afghanistan earthquake killed more than 1,000

      Afghanistan earthquake killed more than 1,000

    • Divided America reacts to overturn of Roe vs. Wade

      Divided America reacts to overturn of Roe vs. Wade

    • Namaste: Yogis to celebrate International Yoga Day

      Namaste: Yogis to celebrate International Yoga Day

    The Korea Times
    CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
    Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
    Tel : 02-724-2114
    Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
    Date of registration : 2020.02.05
    Masthead : The Korea Times
    Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
    • About Us
    • Introduction
    • History
    • Location
    • Media Kit
    • Contact Us
    • Products & Service
    • Subscribe
    • E-paper
    • Mobile Service
    • RSS Service
    • Content Sales
    • Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
    • 고충처리인
    • Youth Protection Policy
    • Code of Ethics
    • Copyright Policy
    • Family Site
    • Hankook Ilbo
    • Dongwha Group