South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Admiral Kim Myung-soo, issued a statement today calling for the punishment of North Korea in the event of possible attacks. The statement is in response to North Korea’s recent statement that the United States and South Korea will pay a “dear price” over the ongoing Freedom Shield 2024 joint exercise.
Myung-soo reportedly went on to state, “If a North Korean terror (attack) occurs, focus all joint defense capabilities on ending the situation early on the spot and firmly punish those who conduct provocations so they pay a harsh price.”
Freedom Shield has been described as “defensive” in nature by Seoul and Washington. The Air Force ran a drill involving F-15K aircraft from the 11th Fighter Wing in Daegu, around 147 miles (237 km) southeast of Seoul, with a scenario of North Korean cruise missiles passing the Northern Limit Line, which acts as the border between the two Koreas.
The North Koreans have recently increased tensions by testing numerous weapons and firing several cruise missiles off the east coast on February 14th.
