Minister Cho Tae-yeol Visits NLL Defense Unit: "Diplomatic Achievements Backed by Strong Security"

Visiting the 2nd Naval Fleet 2nd Maritime Battle Group in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol visited the Navy's 2nd Fleet 2nd Maritime Battle Group in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, the main combat unit guarding the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea, on the 29th to encourage the troops.

On the day, Minister Cho received a briefing about the unit from Rear Admiral Kim Kyung-chul, Commander of the Navy's 2nd Fleet, and Brigadier General Lee Gu-seong, Commander of the 2nd Maritime Battle Group, praised the soldiers for their hard work, and delivered consolation money.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yeol visiting the 2nd Naval Fleet, 2nd Maritime Battle Group in Pyeongtaek.
[Photo by Ministry of Foreign Affairs]

He emphasized, "Diplomacy can achieve results only when backed by strong security, so as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, I especially want to express my gratitude."

He also said, "I came to encourage our troops who are working day and night to protect the country in the harsh winter weather in the front-line waters of our country ahead of the Lunar New Year, but rather, I feel that I am gaining more strength."

The 2nd Maritime Battle Group plays a pivotal role in defending the West Sea and the metropolitan area and participates in various combined maritime exercises with the United States, including the Maritime Combined Special Operations Forces (MCSOF) operations.

Additionally, Minister Cho visited the memorial monument for the 46 Cheonan ship heroes located at the 2nd Fleet, paid respects, and honored the sacrifices while touring the Cheonan ship, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.