Defense chief visits naval command center to inspect military readiness

Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul on Wednesday visited the command and control center of the Navy to inspect the military readiness posture and encourage troops, his office said. Kang visited the command center of the Republic of Korea Fleet in the southeastern port city of Busan, where he was debriefed on the maritime operational situation, according to the defense ministry. "The waters you defend are the very source of Korea's national strength and future, and these waters are a sea of victory that your fellow seniors guarded with their blood and sweat," he said, urging the troops to "firmly" respond without hesitation in the event of enemy provocation. The defense chief was also briefed on preparations for the dispatch of the 49th contingent of the Cheonghae unit to Somalia early next month as part of its rotational deployment. The unit is currently on an anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden off the Somali coast. He called on the troops to follow through on their mission with the mindset that they are on the front lines to safeguard the lives of the people and international peace.