Navy chief pledges 'proactive' military innovation

South Korea's Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Kim Jung-soo vowed Wednesday to "proactively" push for military innovation in the midst of what he called "intense strategic competition" among maritime powers in the Indo-Pacific region.

Kim made the remarks during a security forum, stressing the need for the Navy to respond to not only North Korean threats, but also to "comprehensive" security challenges beyond the Korean Peninsula.

"North Korea's nuclear and weapons of mass destruction programs are being advanced, and strategic competition among countries in the Indo-Pacific is getting intense," Kim said of the current security environment.

The admiral added that the Navy will craft a new maritime strategy, but he did not elaborate.

"To respond to the current situation and prepare for future changes in a timely and proactive manner, the Navy is pushing to craft a new maritime strategy and operational concept and proactively pursuing military innovation," he said.

At the same forum, Rear Adm. Hwang Jeong-o in charge of the Navy's planning and management division, said that the armed service seeks to draw up a strategy involving a "multi-domain" defense concept and envisions naval operations harnessing both manned and unmanned platforms.

Hwang also said that the Navy seeks to conduct unit realignments, optimize force management and carry out other reform measures as part of its innovation scheme. (Yonhap)