SEOUL– South Korea’s top military officer called on troops Tuesday to keep a posture required for a “decisive” fight against potential enemy provocations during a meeting of key field commanders, his office said.

Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Kim Seung-kyum presided over the top-brass meeting as the South is striving to sharpen deterrence in the wake of North Korean provocations, including last month’s drone infiltrations across the inter-Korean border.

The meeting “affirmed their determination to not hesitate to fight against North Korean provocations that are becoming more explicit,” the JCS said in a statement. “(It) was held to emphasize preparations for decisive combat that can obliterate the enemy’s will for provocations and punish by action on the spot in case of an enemy provocation through realistic battle preparations and combat training.”

On Monday, Kim visited key Navy and Air Force units in the country’s southern region and called for a robust readiness posture against the North’s threats.

Source: Yonhap News Agency