South Korea's senior military officers visited frontline troops and combat units ahead of the Lunar New Year on Wednesday to check up on the troops' readiness to respond to emergency situations.
Gen. Han Min-koo, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited the First Fleet, in charge of defending the country's East Sea coast, and the nearby 18th Fighter Wing.
The general checked response procedures to counter possible provocations from North Korea and asked soldiers to be on alert.
Army Chief of Staff Kim Sang-ki was also in Gangwon Province in the northeastern part of the country and visited an observation post within the demilitarized zone manned by troops of the 22nd Infantry Division. Kim visited the customs, immigration and quarantine office that is used to process people going into North Korea.
In addition, Kim Sung-chan and Park Jong-heon, heads of the Navy and Air Force, visited troops and bases.
Admiral Kim visited naval bases guarding the East and South Sea and phoned commanders on remote outposts.
Gen. Park toured an anti-aircraft defense unit guarding the so-called five western islands in the Yellow Sea. He also inspected the Marine Corps' 6th Brigade in charge of defending the islands from North Korean aggression.
The islands are Baengnyeon, Daecheong, Socheong, Yeonpyeong and Udo, which lie just south of the sea demarcation line that is contested by the North.
The islands have seen three deadly naval clashes since 1999, the sinking of a South Korean warship in March 2010 and the shelling of an island by North Korean artillery in November. The shelling left four people dead, including two civilians.
Park, the top Air Force officer, told troops that early warning capabilities have been upgraded to keep tabs on action taking place in the North, while fighter bombers are ready to take immediate action in case of further aggression by the communist country.