Top military officer urges full readiness to defend capital area

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung, center, inspects readiness posture at a military unit in the greater Seoul area, Friday. Courtesy of Joint Chiefs of Staff

The chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on Friday urged utmost efforts to defend the country's capital as he inspected readiness posture at military units in the greater Seoul area, his office said.

JCS Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung made the call during his visit to the 1st air defense brigade, the 3rd air and missile defense brigade and the 1st security group tasked with protecting the capital area, according to the JCS.

Jin was quoted as ordering troops to "firmly maintain a full readiness posture that can respond to any aerial threats to ensure the safety of the people of the megacity of Seoul."

He also urged troops to maintain a pre-emptive yet flexible operational posture, given the possibility of various threats that can occur in an area where key state facilities are located, the JCS said.

The greater Seoul area, including the capital and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, is home to about half of the country's population of 52 million.