[Opinion] Generalship

Within and outside the military, mold-breaking moves made by the new defense minister, Yoon Kwang-ung, are capturing attention. At a conference of commanders from all branches of the military two days ago, Yun shunned a top-down format and led the meeting in a free-discussion manner. When he and the generals went to the presidential palace for lunch with the president after the meeting, Yun broke the old practice again by hopping on a bus together with the generals instead of riding in his own motorcade.

Yun also recommended two books to the generals: “American Generalship” and “Defense Transformation.” “American Generalship,” a result of interviews with hundreds of American generals, includes 11 articles that a general needs in order to achieve excellence. As its subtitle, “Character is Everything,” indicates, the book consists mainly of what’s already known. As the presidential aide, Yun has once introduced “Defense Transformation” to a seminar at the National Defense University of the Republic of Korea. It is a basic book about defense reform.

What does Yun want to say by recommending these readings? Yun picked an anecdote in “American Generalship” about General George Marshall, the Allied Forces commander during World War II who disputed with U.S. President Harry Truman over some war policy but who thoroughly followed it once the decision was made as the most impressive part of the book. “Defense Transportation” is on the other side of the same token of the plan to give civilians initiative in the Ministry of Defense that he revealed in his inauguration speech.

It is curious that Yun, himself a former general, is recommending “Generalship” anew. What is more curious is whether he tilted the balance towards a general who would speak out what he believes even in front the president or a general who would stay loyal absolutely with a policy decision while he introduced the Marshall anecdote. Since 11 years have passed since the end of the military regime, a general who speaks out is probably in more dire need. However, little is known about what the generals said during their lunch with the president.

Editorial writer Song Moon-hong songmh@donga.com