| Jin Young-seung, chair of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, salutes during his inauguration ceremony at the Defense Ministry in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Tuesday. (Yonhap) |
Jin Young-seung, chair of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, reaffirmed Thursday his commitment to field training near the inter-Korean border, stressing that the military must remain strong in supporting the government’s push for reconciliation with North Korea.
“If trust-building between the two Koreas is needed as a matter of policy, the military should actively support it,” Jin said during his visit to the Defense Ministry’s press room in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul.
“However, the military must be firmly prepared in order to have that flexibility. That is why frontline training is essential.”
The comment came in response to a question about Unification Minister Chung Dong-young’s recent call for the military to suspend border training until the Sept. 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement is restored.
Under the agreement signed in 2018 under the liberal Moon Jae-in administration, both Koreas agreed to halt military exercises targeting each other along the Military Demarcation Line. Later in November 2023, North Korea unilaterally nullified the pact.
Seoul also suspended it under the Yoon Suk Yeol government in June 2024 following North Korea’s continued provocations, including short-range ballistic missile launches into the East Sea, the flying of balloons carrying trash across the border, and electronic jamming operations targeting Seoul.
According to Jin, halting training near the border would only be possible if both sides pursue it together.
“If talks on restoring the Sept. 19 military agreement take shape and both sides pursue it in a mutually beneficial way, then halting frontline training within that scope could be considered,” he said.
Late last month, Seoul's Marine Corps unit conducted a live-fire exercise near the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea.
Regarding the drill, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said he approved it, adding, “Restoring the military agreement should be pursued through dialogue, not by us unilaterally halting exercises.”
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