Page 52 - 2018 Defense White Paper

Third, the ROK Armed Forces is working on enacting and revising laws related to defense

reform. In recognition of the fact that a consistent and continuous reform should be supported
by the law, the ROK Armed Forces identif ied 60 acts and regulations that require enactment
or revision. From the 17 acts identif ied, the ROK Armed Forces are currently pursuing the

enactment and revision of 14. The ROK Armed Forces plans to launch the enactment or revision
process for all the other acts and regulations by the end of 2019. To prepare for possible delays
in the legislation, the ROK Armed Forces will take the measures they can before the enactment

or revision, for example, by announcing directives and improving its operation.
Lastly, the ROK Armed Forces realized that public support is most necessary in implementing
defense reform. We will enhance the efforts to retain public support and form a government-

wide consensus on the need for defense reform.

2. Goal and Tenets

| Goal | The goal of Defense Reform 2.0 is to “build a strong military that supports the

peace and prosperity of the Republic of Korea with force.” “Strong military” means a military
capable of taking the initiative in responding to omnidirectional security threats, an elite military
powered by advanced technologies, and a military managed in a way that bef its a developed
country.

| Tenets | The first tenet of Defense Reform 2.0 is to enhance the strength and foundation for
retaining self-reliant national defense capabilities. For an eff icient response to changes in future

battlef ields, the ROK Armed Forces will promote a balanced growth between branches and
specialties. In addition, while steadfastly working toward the civilian control of the MND to
reinforce the expertise of civilian personnel, the ROK Armed Forces will make systematic efforts

to secure the core capabilities required for wartime operational control (OPCON) transition.
The second tenet is to use the scientific and technological advancements of the Fourth
Industrial Revolution to overcome resource shortage and adapt to future battlef ields. The ROK

Armed Forces will develop manned/unmanned combined systems, smart surveillance/strike
systems, technology-powered training systems, and smart barracks management systems driven
by data analysis, artificial intelligence, network technology, and other advancements of the

50 Chapter 2 National Security Strategy and Defense Policy