South Korea's top military officer on Tuesday visited a partially restored guard post inside the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas to inspect troop readiness against North Korean threats, his office said.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo's visit came amid concerns of North Korea possibly undertaking provocative acts in light of South Korea's recent political turmoil.

Kim instructed troops to maintain a posture to "immediately" respond to any North Korean provocation during the visit to the guard post under the Army's 15th Infantry Division at an unidentified central front-line area, according to the JCS.

As part of a 2018 inter-Korean military deal, the two Koreas dismantled 10 guard posts inside the DMZ each, but they have both taken steps to restore and rebuild them after Pyongyang unilaterally scrapped the agreement last year.