Page 263 - 2018 Defense White Paper

Defense Reform 2.0 lies in the establishment of civil control and the balanced development of

the three military services, the administration has been actively pursuing the establishment of
civil control over the MND.
To this end, the MND assigned civilian off icials to off ice heads at MND headquarters and

appointed a female civilian spokesperson for the f irst time in its history. In addition, the MND
assigned civilian off icials to the Director General of Military Force Policy Bureau, which had
been held by generals.

In the future, the MND will identify additional bureau and division head positions within
MND headquarters that need to be filled by civilians. These changes are not merely aimed at
expanding the percentage of civilians in the military; their purpose lies in gradually expanding

the presence of civilian resources with the expertise in military knowledge and optimizing the
essential positions that should be f illed in by military personnel. In addition, to appoint civilians
at key positions in education and research institutions, the MND appointed a civilian to lead
KIDA in 2017 and plans to appoint civilians rather than military off icers as the president of the

Korea National Defense University. In particular, considering the fact that civilians are often
appointed as ministers of national defense in key advanced countries, the MND will strengthen

the assistance function in military for the Minister of National Defense in preparation for the
possible appointment of civilians as the Minister of National Defense.

| Enhancing the Military Expertise of Civil Servants at the MND Headquarters | The
Chapter 6
MND plans to expand the percentage of civilians within the MND headquarters, and seeks the
harmonized growth of both civilian off icials with military expertise and career servicemembers
so that they can assist the Minister of National Defense from a neutral and balanced perspective.

Therefore, civil servants at the MND headquarters need to have military expertise to understand
the position of each military service.
Civil servants require expertise in military matters and each policy area. The MND plans to

upgrade their expertise by providing effective training, managing positions in each area, and
establishing f ield-oriented practices.
Going forward, the MND will continue to take measures to ensure civil servants’ expertise in

military matters and policies early on.

Section 4 Upholding Civilian Control of the Military and Corruption-Free National Defense Operation 261