Over 400 general-level officers to gather for defense workshop

By Sam Kim
SEOUL, May 25 (Yonhap) -- Over 400 South Korean general-grade officers will
attend an annual three-day workshop this week in central South Korea to discuss
their joint readiness against North Korea, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said
Monday.

The Mugunghwa Conference, set to begin on Tuesday at the Air Force Academy in
South Chungcheong Province, will also draw South Korean Defense Minister Lee
Sang-hee and U.S. Lieutenant General Joseph Fill as guest speakers, the JCS said
in a statement.
The closed-door meeting is designed to brief general-level officers on the
evolving South Korea-U.S. alliance, South Korean defense reforms and ways to
improve their joint combat readiness against North Korea, a JCS official said,
declining to be named.
"Officers from all parts of the military will convene, exchanging ideas and
increasing their cooperation in dealing with the North Korean threat," the
official said.
The meeting marks the second this time year hundreds of South Korean
general-level commanders have been summoned for a conference.
Mugunghwa, or Rose of Sharon, is a flower designated as South Korea's national
symbol. South and North Korea remain in a technical state of war after the
1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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