President Yoon Suk Yeol stressed Wednesday that peace that relies on the other party's good will is not sustainable.
According to defense minister Lee Jong-sup, while receiving a New Year's policy briefing from the ministry, Yoon said that peace that is dependent on others cannot be sustained and is not true peace.
The president called for stronger cooperation with the U.S. on extended deterrence to more effectively deter North Korean threats and ordered the South Korean military to sharply bolster readiness posture and capabilities related to the "Three Axis" defense system.
He said the military must be ready to exercise its right to self-defense at any time when enemy forces threaten the country's freedom and peace, urging soldiers to center their thoughts and actions on combat with the mindset that training and education is equivalent to a military operation.
The defense minister, in his briefing, laid out plans to hold a tabletop exercise(TTX) with the U.S. led by the allies' Deterrence Strategy Committee.
He said that for the first time, a separate TTX will take place in May involving South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff and a corresponding military organization from the U.S., which will be far more detailed and practical compared to ones held in the past.
He also vowed to improve the military's ability to respond to North Korean missile launches and drone intrusions.
Source: KBS World Radio