JCS chief calls for 'bold' punishment against potential enemy provocations

This Dec. 16, 2022 file photo, released, by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), shows JCS Chairman Gen. Kim Seung-kyum visiting an Army border observation post. Newsis

South Korea's top military officer called on front-line troops Tuesday to carry out a "bold" punishment against potential enemy provocations, his office said, as Seoul is striving to sharpen its deterrence against evolving North Korean nuclear and missile threats.

Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Kim Seung-kyum made the call as he visited the Army's 2nd Corps for discussions on "concrete action plans to achieve a victory in a potential fight against an enemy," according to the JCS.

"(Kim) instructed troops to build a 'decisive combat posture' for each enemy provocation type, and carry out a punishment in a bold manner on the ground should an enemy provoke," the JCS said in a press release.

Kim also visited a border unit of the 15th Infantry Division to inspect its readiness.

There, he warned that the "enemy would provoke in a situation that the South can hardly predict."

"In a contingency, troops should obliterate the enemy's will to conduct additional provocations through a bold response without any indecision," he was quoted as saying. (Yonhap)