President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the headquarters of the armed forces in the central city of Gyeryong on Friday to inspect security posture and examine preparations for upcoming joint military drills between South Korea and the United States, his office said.

Yoon's visit to the Gyeryongdae military headquarters, about 160 kilometers south of Seoul, came on the last day of his five-day summer vacation.

During the visit, Yoon met with the top commanders of the Army, Air Force and Navy at a wartime command bunker, and received a briefing on the preparations for the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which is slated for later this month, presidential spokesperson Jeong Hye-jeon said in a written press briefing.

Yoon stressed the importance of maintaining a robust readiness posture against rising North Korean threats in light of its sending of trash-filled balloons across the border and GPS attacks.

"Security is linked to the economy, and economic prosperity ensures freedom. Only a strong security posture can defend our freedom and prosperity," Yoon was quoted as saying. "We cannot safeguard peace by relying on the goodwill of the enemy."

It marks his third visit to the military headquarters since taking office in May 2022. (Yonhap)