Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

The Ministry of Defense presented its progress and activities to the National Assembly's Defense Committee

This month, it will define and create a set of five core tasks

The Freedom Shield exercise will take place over a period of 15 days

It will conduct a streamlined operation aimed at identifying and attacking UAVs effectively

P1. On February 17, the Minister of National Defense, Lee Jong-sup, delivered a speech at the full session of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee.

Yonhap News

According to Minister Lee Jong-sup, the military's structure is being reorganized to establish a powerful, combat-focused force that will be capable of achieving victory in all battles.

During his address to the National Defense Committee at the 403rd special session of the National Assembly on February 17, Minister Lee conveyed his commitment to prioritize combat missions in military units, emphasize practical training, and enhance the spiritual combat readiness to achieve victory against any adversary.

A military that places a high value on combat readiness, practical training, and a strong spirit is referred to as a strong combat-oriented military. Following incidents such as the sinking of ROKS Cheonan and the bombardment of Yeonpyeong in 2010, the South Korean military worked towards establishing such a force, but over time, its commitment waned. North Korea's recent provocations have increased tensions on the Korean Peninsula, highlighting weaknesses in the Korean military's response capabilities.

To transition to a strong combat-oriented military, the South Korean military has established five core tasks, including focusing on combat missions under leadership, practical training for dealing with provocations, enhancing spiritual combat readiness, continuous support for combat operations, and innovating personnel management to develop combat-oriented talents. The Ministry of National Defense plans to identify these core tasks in February and provide guidelines, implementation plans, and methods for each military service during the upcoming top brass meeting on March 3.

In addition, the Ministry of National Defense presented updates on the outcomes of the ROK-US defense ministerial meeting, the implementation plan for the 2023 Freedom Shield combined exercise, and the measures taken in response to the drone incursions from North Korea.

According to the Ministry of National Defense, the ROK-US defense ministerial meeting on January 31 was significant as both sides confirmed their commitment to enhancing the implementation of US extended deterrence for achieving "peace through force." The ministry evaluated that the two nations reconfirmed specific ways to implement the agreements made during the ROK-US Summit in May 2022 and the 54th Security Consultative Meetings (SCM) and recognized that the joint air drills involving US strategic bombers demonstrated "extended deterrence in action." The ministry stated that they agreed to hold discussions for the prompt and coordinated deployment of US strategic assets. The Ministry of National Defense also announced that the ROK and the US will convene a defense ministerial meeting with members of the US-led UN Command (UNC) concurrently with the SCM.

Moreover, they came to an agreement to increase the size and range of collaborative field drills, such as carrying out joint military practices at the Korea Combat Training Center (KCTC) and resuming combined exercises for landing operations at the division level, apart from the Freedom Shield exercise in the initial six months of the year. They also agreed on the importance of enhancing security cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan to deter and respond to North Korea's provocations. They plan to hold Defense Trilateral Talks (DTT) as soon as possible to discuss practical measures for strengthening security cooperation among the three countries.

The Ministry of National Defense has provided details on the upcoming joint training exercise, Freedom Shield 2023. The exercise is scheduled to take place for a period of 15 days in mid-March, with a four-day crisis management exercise and an 11-day main exercise. Participating ROK and US units will take part in the exercise through command posts.

A team from the ROK Defense Ministry will be dispatched to participate, and the combat staff will consist of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, headquarters, and operation commands from each military service. The ROK/US Combined Forces Command, United Nations Command, USFK, and Component Command will also organize combat staff. The exercise will prioritize deterrence and crisis relief through joint crisis management between ROK and US, and will focus on the theater operation command capabilities and the mastery of war procedures under the ROK/US combined defense system.

The Ministry of National Defense will be involved in the entire 11-day exercise without any breaks in between. The exercise will involve the complete process of planning and decision-making by commanders and staff. Realistic scenarios will be used by the MND to simulate high-level threats from North Korea, including trends in their nuclear and missile threats and increasingly hostile rhetoric. The exercise will also consider the substantial threat posed by North Korea's reserve forces and will draw on lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine.

The Ministry of National Defense has announced additional measures in response to North Korean drone provocations. The ministry plans to optimize the use of existing resources, including detection forces, soft-kill forces, and hard-kill forces. To enhance detection capabilities in the Seoul metropolitan area, the operational location of the local air defense radar (LADR) will be adjusted. The anti-drone integrated system and anti-drone detection and jamming system, which are currently in operation, will be assigned to the Seoul metropolitan area. Additionally, some of the new models of anti-aircraft guns that will be introduced this year will be installed in the Seoul metropolitan area, and certain aerial strike forces such as army helicopters will be stationed in forward bases.

The response systems will be strengthened to better counter North Korea's small UAVs and address any identified vulnerabilities. The Ministry of National Defense plans to procure a weapon system as soon as possible using the government's reserve funds. The weapon system will be able to execute revised operational procedures and effectively counter small UAVs. Additionally, The Ministry will urgently implement an integrated weapon system in key contact areas, such as an integrated anti-drone system and hand-held anti-drone guns, for detection, identification, and strike purposes.

Furthermore, after inspecting the readiness of the military, the Ministry of National Defense will issue written and verbal warnings to 13 officers who made errors. The reprimands will primarily target commanders, staff members, and individuals in positions of authority, with the degree of disciplinary action being determined through an objective evaluation of mistakes made during task performance, the effectiveness of corrective measures taken, and other relevant factors.

By Chae-Mu, Im <lims86@dema.mil.kr > 

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