Kim Myung-soo, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited the Air Force's 20th Fighter Wing on the 8th and checked the readiness posture against potential enemy provocations, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported.
On that day, Chairman Kim received a report on the operational status of the 20th Fighter Wing and instructed, “Recognize the evolving threat from enemy forces through the Russia-Ukraine war, and maintain a readiness posture capable of overwhelming retaliation against any provocation from the enemy.” He continued, “I urge all members of the fighter wing to take pride in protecting the lives and properties of the people and to do their best at the forefront of defending our airspace.”
Chairman Kim also visited pilots and maintenance personnel on standby for emergency duties. He said, “Ensure that the experienced pilots and maintenance personnel achieve perfect teamwork so that they can immediately take off for operations and respond decisively without hesitation during enemy provocations.”
Chairman Kim's on-site guidance came amid a series of accidents caused by pilot errors in the Air Force, including the recent KF-16 fighter jet's stray bombing on civilians and the KA-1 aerial control attack aircraft's machine gun drop. The JCS conducted a field inspection of the operational discipline and readiness posture of the air force units under the Air Force Operations Command from the 29th of last month to the 2nd of this month.