"Be Relentless and Lethal to the Enemy"... Minister Kang Shin-chul Inspects Frontline Border Units

Field Visits Continue after 25th Division
Inspection of 7th Division Command Center and Outposts
Promise to Improve Service Conditions

On September 24, Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul visited the 7th Infantry Division of the Army, located at the front line of the central eastern front, to directly inspect military readiness and encourage the soldiers who are devoted to the mission of national defense even during the Chuseok holiday.

Minister Kang visited the command and control room of a General Outpost (GOP) battalion of the 7th Division that day to receive a briefing on current operational situations. He emphasized, "Above all, victory must be achieved through our preparedness," and strongly ordered, "To the enemy, you must be rough, relentless, and lethal." He further remarked, "The best defense policy is the best situation management," and instructed the soldiers to respond decisively and without hesitation in the event of a provocation or a breach of the border, as though the minister himself were present and giving the order on the spot.

The GOP is a key front-line outpost located immediately behind the southern limit line of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). It is a border unit that constantly monitors for enemy approach and carries out early warning and initial defense against enemy attacks.

Minister Kang personally inspected the forward outposts, checking on all aspects of the soldiers' service conditions, including barracks facilities, meal quality, and living environment. He stressed, "We will continue to improve service conditions so that the soldiers, who are silently dedicated to the nation, can focus solely on their duties without any discomfort."

Meanwhile, the day before, Minister Kang also made an unannounced visit to a forward unit of the Army's 25th Infantry Division on the western front—where a suspected mine explosion had recently occurred within the DMZ—to inspect readiness at the site and to offer his support to the soldiers, thereby continuing his field visits to the security front line.

Defense Minister Shin Chin-chul visited the frontmost Army 7th Infantry Division on the Middle East Frontline on the first day of the Chuseok holiday, September 24, where he received a briefing from unit officials. Photo by the Ministry of National Defense via Yonhap News Agency

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.