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| Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Park Han-ki speaks with a soldier at an army unit in Gwangju on Feb. 2. Courtesy of Joint Chief of Staff |
By Kim Bo-eun
North Korea's media condemned the South Korean military, Wednesday, for the Joint Chief of Staff (JCS) chairman's recent visit to military units.
JCS Chairman Park Han-ki visited units of the Army, Marines and Air Force during the Lunar New Year holiday, to check their defense posture and thank soldiers for their service.
Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's ruling Workers' Party's mouthpiece, referred to the JCS chief's visit as "going against the flow of an era of dialogue and peace."
The paper also criticized a winter-season drill that was held in Gangwon Province last month.
In addition, it referred to the defense ministry's plan for 2019 to 2023 unveiled last month, and said these are in line with "dangerous military moves."
The plan stated the South would increase defense spending by an average of 7.5 percent each year over the next five years, with the goal on building "independent capabilities to counter threats from all directions."
The Rodong Sinmun said "the South Korean military's hostile moves" go against the inter-Korean agreements reached at summits last year.
"Provocative military moves that create obstacles in a flow of dialogue and peace should not be accepted," it said.
The statements are seen to be pressuring the U.S. as a summit between the countries' leaders approaches at the end of this month.
South Korea has maintained its stance that despite the measures that have been taken to reduce military tension and build trust with the North amid the detente, its defense posture should remain firm.
North Korea has continued its own military drills. Its army is known to have begun its winter training for this year in the same scale and scope as previous years. A force of over 1 million is believed to be engaging in the exercises.
While Pyongyang has reduced hostile rhetoric and public military displays, the North's military posture is seen to remain unchanged.
