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JCS chief inspects key Marine, Navy units amid joint drills with U.S.

Published: 10 Mar. 2026, 21:31

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung speaks during a visit to the Combined Marine Component Command and the Northwest Islands Defense Command in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, on March 10. [YONHAP]

Korea's top general on Tuesday visited key Marine Corps and Navy units to carry out an inspection during an ongoing major exercise with U.S. troops, his office said.

Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung visited the Combined Marine Component Command and the Northwest Islands Defense Command and urged troops to verify wartime plans during the Freedom Shield exercise as Korea seeks to take back wartime operational control (Opcon) from the United States, according to the JCS.

Jin also visited the Navy's 2nd Fleet, headquartered in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, where he said the joint exercise serves as an opportunity for the allies to prove their capabilities, the JCS said.

The allies' annual springtime exercise began its 11-day run on Monday, with this year's edition focusing on assessing conditions to achieve the transfer of wartime operational control from Washington to Seoul.

Korea has been seeking a "conditions-based" transfer of wartime Opcon from the United States within President Lee Jae Myung's five-year term, which ends in 2030.

Yonhap