Seoul:South Korea's top military officer has directed troops to respond firmly to any provocations from North Korea. This directive comes after North Korea threatened to deploy more weapons along the inter-Korean border and resume propaganda broadcasts.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the directive was issued by Gen. Jin Yong-sung, Chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, during a visit to a front-line unit. Gen. Jin criticized North Korea for shifting the blame onto Seoul for the increased inter-Korean tensions that followed a land mine explosion on September 21, which injured three South Korean soldiers.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff released a statement noting that Gen. Jin found it unacceptable for North Korea to label South Korea's legitimate operational measures as provocations. He instructed the troops to respond decisively if North Korea initiates further provocations using these measures as a pretext.