New Army chief vows to counter diversionary N. Korean moves

By Sam Kim

SEOUL, Sept. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new Army chief, sworn in on Monday, vowed to back his country's resolve not to fall for what he termed North Korea's diversionary tactics of alternate dialogue and hostility.

In a ceremony held at the Army command in central South Korea, Gen. Han Min-gu
took over from Gen. Im Choong-bin as the new Army Chief of Staff, a post that
oversees 522,000 troops, officials said.
The Army forms the backbone of the 655,000-strong South Korean military that
interacts with 28,500 U.S. troops here to deter North Korea's 1.2-million force.
"North Korea is wielding the double tactics of appeasement and provocation while
continuing to pose a direct and grave threat," Han said in a speech made
available through email by the Army. "It is of the utmost necessity that the Army
maintains caution and readiness."
North Korea has in recent weeks taken conciliatory gestures toward South Korea,
putting aside more than a year of hostility that swelled after President Lee
Myung-bak took office in Seoul with a hard line on the communist state.
South Korean experts and officials warned North Korea's reversal could be
technical and temporal as the country has yet to act on its pledge to drop its
nuclear weapons programs.
The North conducted its second nuclear test and launched a long-range rocket
earlier this year. It has yet to return to six-nation talks aimed at compensating
it with aid for its nuclear disarmament.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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