Summary of inter-Korean news this week

SEOUL, May 16 (Yonhap) — The following is a summary of inter-Korean news this week.

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Military chief inspects naval readiness, calls for deterrence against N.K.

SEOUL — South Korea’s top military officer inspected naval units and the submarine command Thursday, urging firm naval readiness to deter any provocations by North Korea, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

JCS Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo made the call as he boarded the ROKS Jeongjo the Great destroyer and visited the submarine force command, the Jinhae Naval Base Command and the naval special warfare flotilla based in Jinhae, some 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to the JCS.

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Tour program to Panmunjom to be resumed this week

SEOUL — The unification ministry is set to resume its tour program to the truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone this week following its suspension in late 2023 due to military tensions, officials said Thursday.

“The government plans to resume the Panmunjom field trip Friday through a special tour program after it was suspended for public safety reasons,” a ministry official said.

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(News Focus) Presidential rivals underscore alliance, deterrence but views vary on inter-Korean ties

SEOUL — Major presidential candidates highlighted the importance of enhancing deterrence capabilities against North Korea under a robust South Korea-U.S. alliance but proposed different approaches to dealing with Pyongyang as they unveiled their campaign pledges for the June 3 election.

With just three weeks remaining until the high-profile vote, candidates announced Monday their top 10 election pledges, including an outline of their defense and security visions, amid the North’s deepening military alignment with Russia and speculations over a possible role change of the U.S. Forces Korea.
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