What did Jin Yong-sung inspect during his visit to the 16th Fighter Wing?

At the 16th Fighter Wing, Jin inspected the aerial defense posture and commanded a formation flight involving KF-21 and FA-50 fighter jets. He also met with pilots and urged them to maintain the capability to deter the enemy through overwhelming air superiority and respond immediately to contingencies.

How does the KAMD contribute to South Korea’s three-axis deterrence system?

The Korea Air and Missile Defense system is designed to detect and intercept incoming ballistic and other missiles in their early stages to minimize damage. The other two pillars are the Kill Chain preemptive strike system and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation plan, which is intended to incapacitate North Korea’s leadership in a major conflict.

What did Jin Yong-sung order the missile reconnaissance unit to do?

Jin ordered troops at the Air Force unit tasked with reconnaissance of ballistic missile launches to maintain an early warning posture around the clock and detect any type of missile swiftly. He described the unit as the first to detect enemy missile provocations and the starting point for missile defense operations.

JCS chief inspects aerial defense posture aboard KF-21 fighter jet

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Summary

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung inspected South Korea’s aerial defense posture at the 16th Fighter Wing in Yecheon County on Wednesday, including aboard a KF-21 fighter jet. He commanded a formation flight involving KF-21 and FA-50 jets and urged pilots to maintain air superiority and respond immediately to contingencies. Jin also inspected the readiness of the Korea Air and Missile Defense system and ordered troops to maintain round-the-clock missile warning.

Key Facts

The 16th Fighter Wing is in Yecheon County, about 160 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
Jin called the Korea Air and Missile Defense system a core asset of the country’s three-axis deterrence system.
The KAMD is designed to detect and intercept incoming ballistic and other missiles in their early stages to minimize damage.
The other pillars of the three-axis system are the Kill Chain preemptive strike system and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation plan. The latter is intended to incapacitate North Korea’s leadership in a major conflict.

By Yonhap

Published Nov 11, 2026 8:59 pm KST

Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung / Courtesy of JCS

Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung on Wednesday visited an Air Force unit and inspected the aerial defense posture while aboard the indigenous KF-21 fighter jet.

Jin visited the 16th Fighter Wing in Yecheon County, some 160 kilometers southeast of Seoul, to inspect the defense posture and commanded a formation flight involving the KF-21 and FA-50 fighter jets, according to the JCS.

During a meeting with pilots, Jin urged airmen to maintain a posture and capability to deter the enemy through "overwhelming" air superiority and to immediately respond to contingencies.

The JCS chief also visited an Air Force unit tasked with reconnaissance of ballistic missile launches and inspected the operational readiness of the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) system, calling it a "core asset" of the country's three-axis deterrence system.

The KAMD is designed to detect and intercept incoming ballistic and other missiles in the early stages to minimize damage.

The other pillars of the three-axis system comprise the Kill Chain preemptive strike system and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation, an operational plan to incapacitate the North Korean leadership in a major conflict.

"This is the very unit that detects enemy missile provocations firsthand, marking the beginning of missile defense operations," Jin said, while ordering troops to maintain an early warning posture around the clock to detect any type of missile in a swift manner.

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