SEOUL, Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho visited a military base near the border with North Korea on Wednesday, the latest in a series of inspection tours by top South Korean officials amid heightened tensions.

Kim underscored the role of the unit in bolstering deterrence against North Korea during his visit to the Army unit in the western border city of Paju, according to the ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs.

The rare visit came as North Korea has ratcheted up tensions on the peninsula with weapons tests, including the launch of a hypersonic missile this week, and its leader Kim Jong-un’s hostile rhetoric against the South.

At a key parliamentary meeting on Monday, the North’s leader called for revising the country’s constitution to define South Korea as its “primary foe” and codify the commitment to “completely occupying” the South Korean territory in the event of war.

Source: Yonhap News Agency