Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Choi Yoon-hee stressed Friday that South Korea should boost its naval power to better protect the nation’s maritime sovereignty.

Choi said during a ceremony to celebrate the Navy’s 67th anniversary in South Chungcheong Province that maritime conflicts and the power struggle among South Korea’s neighbors are not potential threats but existing threats to the nation.

Choi said there is a high possibility that North Korea may provoke the South in the Yellow Sea to nullify the Northern Limit Line ahead of South Korea’s presidential elections. The navy chief said that all military personnel must be ready for combat.

The Northern Limit Line serves as the maritime border between South and North Korea.