Continuing Civilian Control over the Army and Military Reform

President Roh emphasized yesterday, “Military reform should be pushed forward consistently and strongly. To achieve this goal, we need strong resolution from the army itself more than anything else.”

The president spoke those words in an address he gave in a ceremony celebrating the 56th Armed Forces Day, held on the drill grounds at the Gyeryong Military Base in Gyeryong, South Choongcheong Province. He also said, “There have been various measures taken in the past for military reform, but what has been accomplished is only some improvement in application, not structural reform.”

President Roh urged, “We have to increase the efficiency and the rationality in managing military affairs through the specialization of military organization and civilian control over the army. Please accommodate diverse opinions from all social sectors on military reform and proceed with continuous reform with the defense minister as the central figure.”

It seems that civilian control over the army, which has been seriously instated since Defense Minister Yoon Gwan-woon took office in July, will intensify even more.

President Roh said, “We need to prepare our army for any war in the future by improving its structure into a technology-intensive strategic structure, which is information-oriented and scientific, through a reform of the military structure. Such a system that allows military operations led by our own army and that allows integrated strategies to be developed at full efficiency should be established as well.”

Regarding issues on our country’s self-defense, President Roh explained, “Self-defense and the Korea-U.S. alliance are the two essential axes of our security, and when we equip ourselves with independent defense abilities, the alliance with the U.S. will become stronger and be able to develop into a future-oriented relationship. The alliance between Korea and the U.S. will continue to serve for peace in Northeast Asia as well as in the Korean Peninsula.”

“If we stay confident and continue to systematically improve aspects in our military power that are not currently satisfactory, we will soon be able to have at least enough ability to lead policies regarding North Korea.”

Jung-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com