South Korean General Sees Russian Armed Forces as Guarantee of Regional Stability

Commander of South Korea's 1st Field Army, General Kim Jong-hwang, announced at a Wednesday press conference in Khabarovsk that the Russian armed forces were making an enormous contribution to the cause of stability and peace throughout the Asian-Pacific region.

The general is leading a delegation of top South Korean officers on a visit to the Far East military district. The South Korean generals saw Russian soldiers being put through their paces, as well as officers being instructed at the district training centre. They also observed exercises at a local training ground and visited a firing range.

When summing up the results of his visit to the district, Kim Jong-hwang said that he had become even more convinced that the Russian armed forces were at the highest level. "The high level of combat readiness and the high level of hardware and technology at their disposal make them as mighty force, and allows them to make a great contribution to the cause of stability and peace in the Asian-Pacific region," he stressed.

The South Korean commander spoke in favour of the need to develop co-operation between Korea and Russia's armed forces. Kim Jong-hwang expressed his hope that "from now on our representatives will be present at all exercises in the Far Eastern military district, and we shall invite Russian officers to all our war games."