Clueless about NK threat in 1st Cabinet meeting

In the first Cabinet meeting of her administration Monday, President Park Geun-hye said, “(South) Korea faces a crisis situation in which North Korea threaten war day after day, but the top posts at the National Security Office and the Defense Ministry, who comprise the central command of national security, remain vacant, and the National Intelligence Service is in a state of paralysis.” It was prudent to call the intelligence agency paralyzed since she nominated its director March 2, five days after her inauguration. If the government`s intelligence gathering and tactical operations, which should not for even a single moment be allowed to be in a vacuum, is indeed in paralysis, South Korea truly faces a grave situation. She apparently made the comment to pressure opposition parties to cooperate in deliberating on a bill to revise the Government Organization Act. Instead, she should not use her words as rhetoric but immediately order the intelligence agency to remain on its highest alert.

After Park’s stern opening comments, the Cabinet meeting merely deliberated on 15 agenda items, including executive ordinances on punishment for light crimes such as a fine of 50,000 won (46 U.S. dollars) for public exposure. The items looked leisurely at best to be handled in the new government`s first Cabinet meeting, which was belatedly assembled after the president appointed just 13 ministers 15 days after her inauguration. Because of this delay, the handling of national security remains stagnant and the intelligence agency has its hands tied.

The presidential office said, “The Cabinet meeting had no agenda needing urgent approval,” adding, “Judging that the president`s hosting of a Cabinet meeting in itself would give the public a sense of stability, she hosted the meeting immediately after awarding credentials.” The minister of public administration and security, who is in charge of the civilian defense system and training, just gave a briefing on the government response to a forest fire in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, but no action was taken to help ease the people`s wary sentiment. On Sunday, just a day before the date North Korea pledged it would nullify the 1953 armistice agreement, rumors spread on social media services and the Internet, suggesting that an emergency notice to metropolitan and provincial offices of education to temporarily close all public schools and colleges due to the North’s aggression. As a result, South Korean media received a flurry of inquiries. Spreading groundless rumors is irresponsible, but education authorities, who took the issue lightly by brushing off the rumor, also seem irresponsible. The rumor spread because neither the ministry, which will soon change its name to the Public Safety and Administration Ministry, nor anyone in the government has presented a response plan.

Moreover, the South Korean military has pledged to reinforce its defense and combat capability and conduct reform with a determination to make bone-carving efforts. It called March 26, the day of the sinking of a South Korean naval corvette by a North Korean submarine three years ago, “the day of humiliation for the (South) Korean military.” Yet key reform measures have been outright withdrawn. A plan has been canceled to install the latest sonar systems in more than 30 destroyers and convoy ships, which are the same class as the Cheonan, to guard against North Korean undersea vehicles or torpedo attacks due to lack of technology and budget. The purported military reform, centered on reshuffle of the organizational structure of the upper command chain and reinforcement of cooperative operations, has been stalled due to the debate between supporters and opponents in and out of the military.

President Park said, "North Korea has displayed a pattern of unusual behavior, and I`d like to instruct the government to remain vigilant to ensure the safety of residents of Yeonpyeong Island (in the Yellow Sea) and the (South) Korean public.” If she is really serious about this, Seoul must resolutely take steps to strengthen the country`s combat capability and implement military reform.