National defense reform

National defense reform that South Korea is pushing to implement ahead of the return of wartime operational command from the U.S. in December 2015 is facing its last barrier. The ruling Grand National Party decided Monday to uphold a free vote on the reform bill, but the main opposition Democratic Party opposed. Whether the bill will clear the National Assembly is uncertain. The opposition camp is boycotting proceedings at the Assembly, citing the ruling party`s railroading of the bill on the free trade agreement with the U.S. This has paralyzed the regular parliamentary session, while the session itself is also set to end Friday.

If the defense reform bill is not processed by year`s end and is carried over to next year, the situation will grow more difficult to resolve. Even if an extraordinary parliamentary session occurs in February, the hotly disputed bill is unlikely to pass, with ruling and opposition party lawmakers focusing on the general elections set for April. The Defense Ministry also considers this month as the effective deadline for the bill`s passage. The bill was submitted to the National Assembly in May but has yet to pass the subcommittee for legislative review, let alone the parliamentary defense committee.

In the wake of North Korea`s sinking of the South Korean naval corvette Cheonan and artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, the South Korean military has been shown to have weaknesses in its command structure. The centerpiece of national defense reform is to unify the upper chain of command, which is divided into two tiers, namely the military operations command under the Joint Chiefs of Staff and personnel and operations command under the Chiefs of the General Staff, into one command chain under which the Chiefs of the General Staff also hold military operational command under the direction of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This should help seamlessly cope with the North`s provocation. If the South Korean military fails to reform its command system while retaking wartime operational command from the U.S. even after miserable failures in the wake of military aggression, the nation will see serious uncertainty in national security.

Even when considering the time required to prepare for the return of wartime operational command, the military reform bill should be passed as soon as possible. If the South Korean military is to take over command that it handed over to the U.S. soon after the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 and more efficiently implement the regained command, it should arm itself with a command system conducive to a combat-focused military. It will take at least three years for the military to readjust its command structure and verify operational plans for the South Korea-U.S. joint defense. The military is almost running out of time even if it adjusts and improves its command system and develops the operational plan throughout next year before conducting validation drills from 2013.

The National Assembly is advised to process the defense reform bill when it deliberates at year`s end bills seeking parliamentary approval for the extension of deployment of the Cheonghae Unit operating in waters off Somalia and the Dongmyeong Unit in Lebanon. Even if the regular parliamentary session prematurely collapses, there is a chance that an extraordinary session will be held to process the bill for next year`s state budget. Hong Joon-pyo, chairman of the ruling Grand National Party, should take the lead in getting the bill to a free vote. If lawmakers boycott national defense reform while fully recognizing real threats to national security, they have no business even mentioning national defense. Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin should also do his best to persuade ruling and opposition party lawmakers with a determination to resign if the bill fails to pass.