Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo expresses his will to implement a combined defense system under Republic of Korean leadership

Stressed the need for elite forces based on high-tech science, efficient defense management, and promotion of defense industries

"The ministry will strive to achieve a full readiness posture in this transitional period of national security ... a fundamental defense reform plan will be completed within the current year."

In the annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), the Minister of National Defense announced that the Ministry will reach an agreement on a draft of organizing a future Combined Forces Command (CFC) under Korean military leadership. 

During his opening remarks at the 2018 Parliamentary Audit, held at a Ministry conference hall on October 10th, Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo said that he will strive to forge the conditions that will enable a stable transfer of wartime operational control at an early date based on a mutually complementary and firm Republic of Korea-US alliance.

The minister reported that the chief of Republic of Korean forces will become commander, the chief of US forces will become deputy commander, and the future CFC will be organized similarly to the current CFC system. The minister also said that a plan for the verification of combined operations under Korean military leadership, including a Republic of Korea-US agreement on the verification of the Phase 1 of initial operational capacity (IOC) next year, will be actively implemented, and procedures to relocate the CFC headquarters to the Ministry of National Defense in central Seoul will begin in December.

Minister Jeong also stressed that our military will do everything possible to ensure the establishment of a robust military readiness posture in this transitional period for the security environment on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia, and will not allow a vacuum in national security to occur, under any circumstance. “We will focus more on our original duties based on powerful national defense, while actively implementing the agreed military-related issues as part of the implementation of the Panmunjom Declaration. The military will be reinforced with strong power so that the government's efforts for denuclearization and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula can come to fruition,” the minister said.

Minister Jeong also introduced a policy of developing military strategies and structures to respond flexibly to a full spectrum of security threats. “We will advance to elite forces based on science and high technology in order to accomplish defense reform for our future forces. We will apply core technologies of the fourth industrial revolution to establish a transparent and efficient national defense management system, and will actively push forward in fostering the defense industry to invigorate the national economy and promote the national interest,” he said.

With respect to Defense Reform 2.0, the ministry has a plan to establish a promotion roadmap for each task in four areas, including military structure, defense management, military culture and defense industry, and intends to complete the master plan within the current year. In addition, the ministry reported that it will reach the first result of a research on the future military structure within the year, and will actively promote the enactment of defense reform for stability and consistency.

On the human rights of soldiers, Minister Jeong declared that he will establish a military culture with high morale that earns the trust of the people through a groundbreaking improvement in service conditions.

Minister Jeong stressed again the military's will to solidify the security of the Republic of Korea and realize 'clean national defense' by dedicating itself only to the people and the country, saying “We will establish a national defense that has integrity, honesty, justice, the trust of the people, and high morale, and build a complete defense posture and prepare for the future.” 

By Chul-Hwan, Kim < droid001@dema.mil.kr >

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