A top Korean military official has underscored the need for deeper cooperation in joint operational readiness among Indo-Pacific nations, highlighting Seoul's role as a key security partner in the region. Lt. Gen. Kwon Dae-won, vice chairman of Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), made the remarks during the Chiefs of Defense Conference in Canada on Tuesday (local time), addressing a rapidly evolving international security landscape. "Strengthening interoperability among nations is essential to effectively responding to the shifting security environment in the Indo-Pacific," Kwon was quoted as saying by the JCS. "The Republic of Korea will continue to contribute to ensuring regional peace and stability as a responsible security partner," he said, referring to Korea by its official name. The high-level military conference was launched in 1998 as a regional dialogue platform to discuss security challenges and ways to advance military cooperation among participating countries. This year's conference, co-hosted by the United States and Canada, brought together top military officers from 30 co