SEOUL– President Yoon Suk-yeol called for a firm response to North Korean provocations during a visit to the defense ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Monday.
It was the first time the president has visited the building shared by the ministry and the JCS after he relocated the presidential office to what used to be the defense ministry’s headquarters upon taking office on May 10.
The presidential office, and the buildings of the defense ministry and the JCS are now located on the same compound in Yongsan, central Seoul.
“I appreciate the hard work you put into moving offices, as the presidential office moved into the defense (ministry) space that you had used until now,” Yoon said as dozens of troops and workers welcomed him with cheers and applause.
“Our security situation is becoming more serious by the day, and without your dedication to national security, our economy and all of our social activities would not be able run properly,” he said.
The relocation was a campaign promise Yoon had made to help him connect better with the public. Yoon believed the previous presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, was located on a lofty hill that made the president unapproachable.
During the visit, Yoon took part in a virtual conference with Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, JCS Chairman Gen. Won In-choul and other ranking military officers to check the military’s readiness posture.
“President Yoon stressed that our military should serve as a reliable pillar that protects our people’s lives and wealth under any circumstance, and ordered that a firm military readiness posture be maintained,” the presidential office said in a press release.
“Moreover, he noted that in the case where North Korea carries out a provocation, it should be dealt with firmly and strictly, and for this, troops should maintain a firm mental readiness posture,” it said.
Yoon received an Air Force bomber jacket as a gift. It took him several attempts to close the zipper.
“I don’t often find clothes that fit me, because I’m fat, and I often go to Itaewon to buy clothes,” he said, drawing laughter from the crowd. “Thank you very much for getting a jacket that fits me very well. I will wear it often whenever the security situation is grave or during civil defense training.”
Itaewon is a neighborhood close to the presidential office, which is often associated with foreigners and in particular American troops because of its close proximity to a U.S. military garrison.
Source: Yonhap News Agency