Page 44 - 2018 Defense White Paper

Section 2 National Defense Policy

and Military Strategy

The ROK Armed Forces is pursuing six tenets of our national defense policy to realize the vision of, “Competent
Security and Robust National Defense.” The ROK Armed Forces will continue to carry out the fundamental
mission of maintaining a robust military readiness posture and gain the public’s faith in the military by instilling
a barracks culture that is attractive to both potential servicemembers as well as their family. Further, the ROK
Armed Forces will strengthen our national defense capacity upon a solid ROK–U.S. Alliance in order to support
the establishment of permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula through robust strength.

1. National Defense Objectives

The National Defense Objectives are “protecting the nation from external military threats
and attack;” “supporting a peaceful unif ication of the Korean Peninsula;” and “contributing to
regional stability and world peace.”

| Protecting the Nation from External Military Threats and Attack | The ROK Armed
Forces considers any force that threatens and violates the sovereignty, territory, people, and
properties of the Republic of Korea as an enemy. The relationship between South and North

Korea has alternated between military confrontation, reconciliation, and cooperation. However,
an unprecedented security environment has been set in 2018 to realize complete denuclearization
and peace establishment on the Korean Peninsula through three successful inter-Korean summits

as well as the f irst-ever U.S.–DPRK summit. In particular, in September 2018, the military
authorities of South and North Korea signed and began the implementation of the “Agreement
to Implement the Historic Panmunjom Declaration in the Military Domain,” thereby creating

a foundation for easing military tension and conf idence building.
However, North Korea’s WMDs still pose a threat to peace and stability on the Korean
Peninsula. And so, the ROK Armed Forces will provide military support towards complete

42 Chapter 2 National Security Strategy and Defense Policy