Choo Mi-ae: "Martial law declaration was a wake-up call... illegal orders must be refused"

Ahead of the Eulji Exercise beginning on the 18th, Gyeonggi Province gathered with training participating agencies to discuss cooperation measures. Governor Choo Mi-ae emphasized the importance of security for Gyeonggi Province and organic cooperation among various institutions including the military, police, fire service, and local government.

On the 12th, Gyeonggi Province held the 2026 Integrated Defense Consultative Meeting in Yulgok Hall at Gwanggyo Government Complex with Governor Choo Mi-ae of Gyeonggi Province and representatives of major institutions.

In his opening remarks, Governor Choo stated, "Gyeonggi Province is a border region adjacent to North Korea and the place where the most citizens of the Republic of Korea live," adding "The safety of Gyeonggi Province is directly connected to the safety of the Seoul metropolitan area and the entire Republic of Korea. Protecting Gyeonggi Province is protecting the Republic of Korea." He explained the importance of security for Gyeonggi Province.

Governor Choo continued, "Today's threats do not remain limited to traditional military threats. Drones, cyber attacks, terrorism, paralysis of national infrastructure, and complex threats crossing the boundary between military and non-military matters have become everyday security issues," emphasizing "In times of such crisis, no single institution can respond with its capabilities alone. The military, police, fire service, and local government must move like one system."

Governor Choo also mentioned the martial law declaration incident that occurred on December 3, 2024, saying, "That day cannot be forgotten. The martial law declaration is a significant wake-up call that reminds us how important the roles and responsibilities of state institutions are and how precious it is for each to properly maintain their position," and stressed, "In times of crisis, the chain of command must be firm, each must fulfill their duty well, illegal orders must be refused, and legal orders must be executed swiftly and responsibly."

The Integrated Defense Consultative Meeting is a conference where relevant agencies including civilians, government, military, police, and fire service cooperate to establish and implement integrated defense measures in preparation for enemy infiltration, provocation, or threats to them. The meeting is divided into regular and extraordinary sessions, with regular sessions held quarterly. This meeting was conducted as a practical exercise to verify whether Gyeonggi Province's integrated defense posture actually operates ahead of the Eulji Exercise.

The 2026 Eulji Exercise is scheduled to run for four days and three nights from the 18th to the 21st. During the training period, Gyeonggi Province plans to operate a "wartime comprehensive situation room" within the Provincial Government Complex's facilities and provide support for situation dissemination and integrated defense operations.