WNAM REPORT: The military assured Friday that there are no issues with its readiness posture against North Korean threats, despite concerns over a potential command vacuum in the aftermath of last week’s botched martial law declaration.
“The military is currently committed to its duties, and there are no issues in its readiness posture in border areas,” a Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official told reporters.
The remark came as seven senior defense ministry and military personnel, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, have resigned or been placed under suspension since last week over their involvement in the Dec. 3 martial law operations.
The move has also affected the Army chief and top commanders of major warfare units — the Capital Defense Command, the Army Special Warfare Command, the Counterintelligence Command and the Defense Intelligence Command.
“There are concerns over the substitute system, but the Capital Defense Command and the Special Warfare Command are mostly tasked with counterterrorism operations and are not units that directly combat enemy forces in the event of war,” the official said.
“There are no issues at all in the response system against North Korean provocations.”
On Thursday, JCS Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo also convened a meeting of commanders and urged the military to maintain a firm readiness posture while adhering to political neutrality.
