Defense minister ahn gyu-back on thursday called for an "immediate" readiness posture during a visit to a front-line army unit:ack on Thursday called for an "immediate" readiness posture during a visit to a front-line Army unit, following an arms protocol lapse discovered at a corps-level unit. Ahn gave the instruction while inspecting the operational readiness of firearms at a watch post of the 5th Infantry Division, responsible for defense on the central front along the inter-Korean border.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Ahn emphasized the importance of immediate readiness as the most powerful force protecting South Korea. He instructed the forces to maintain full readiness in line with principles and respond "firmly and reflexively" if a situation arises. His visit was prompted by a troubling discovery that the Army's 1st Corps, a key front-line unit, had allowed soldiers to serve their guard duties with unloaded weapons to minimize accidental discharges. This lapse led to the corps commander's removal from duty.

Ahn also toured a border security unit under the 5th Division, urging troops to uphold a "flawless" readiness posture in executing their missions. Following his visits to the border posts, Ahn observed operations at a guard center utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and witnessed multi-legged robots conducting reconnaissance and surveillance missions, as reported by the ministry.