Seoul: Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Wednesday visited an underground bunker of the Capital Defense Command to inspect military readiness amid ongoing key springtime drills between the South Korean and U.S. militaries, his office said. Ahn urged troops to maintain a robust joint defense posture through "intensive" and "practical" training during his visit to the basement bunker on the 10th day of the 11-day Freedom Shield (FS) exercise, the defense ministry said.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Ahn emphasized the necessity of "high-intensity" military training, linking it to the escalating conflict in the Middle East following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran last month. Ahn highlighted the importance of such training, asserting that its intensity directly translates into "combat capabilities."

Ahn also visited a joint air defense operations center, encouraging troops to exert maximum effort in executing the remaining field drills that will continue into next week after the FS exercise concludes on Thursday.

This year's FS drills focused on preparing for a conditions-based wartime operational control (OPCON) transfer from Washington to Seoul. The current Lee Jae Myung administration aims to recover OPCON within his five-year term ending in 2030.