Yoon Visits Frontline Units: "Must Respond Firmly with 'Action First, Report Later' to Enemy Provocations"

President Yoon Suk-yeol visited a frontline unit on the 28th and instructed, "What our people expect is a strong and reliable military. If the enemy provokes, respond immediately and decisively under the principle of 'action first, report later.'"

The Presidential Office stated that President Yoon visited the Army's 5th Division in Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi Province, in the morning and received a military readiness briefing from Division Commander Yoon Ki-jung (Army Major General, Korea Military Academy Class 51), making these remarks. This was his first visit to a military unit since visiting the 25th Division in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi, on October 1, which was both the Chuseok holiday and Armed Forces Day this year.

Following North Korea's repeated missile provocations and its breaking of the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement last month by increasing frontline observation posts (GPs), heightening tensions, this visit is interpreted as both an inspection of the frontline situation and an encouragement for military personnel ahead of the year-end and New Year holidays.

President Yoon then visited a company observation post (OP), held a meeting and luncheon with soldiers and junior officers, and listened to their working conditions and difficulties. President Yoon promised, "We will drastically improve soldiers' welfare so that they can serve with pride and confidence, and the government will firmly support this."

He also met with officers dedicated to the frontline and their families, emphasizing that "the happiness of military personnel and their families is security itself." He added, "In addition to the measures already implemented to improve military family welfare, such as housing conditions, we will further strive to enhance the quality of life for military families by improving overall conditions."

Meanwhile, President Yoon plans to reorganize the diplomatic and security line by appointing Jang Ho-jin, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, as the new National Security Office Director in the afternoon. This follows the nomination of Cho Tae-yong, the current National Security Office Director, as the candidate for National Intelligence Service Director. This move is interpreted as an effort to strengthen "security through diplomacy" by appointing ministers and vice ministers well-versed in diplomacy related to the U.S., North Korean nuclear issues, and Russia as heads of the National Security Office.