Page 4 - 2018 Defense White Paper
P. 4
Special Appendix 1
Results of the Activities of the
Committee for the Eradication of
Deep-Rooted Evils in the Military
1. Progress and Achievements of the Committee for the
Eradication of Deep-Rooted Evils in the Military
Upon its inauguration, the Moon Jae-in Administration put the eradication of deep-rooted evils forward as
the first agenda of its reform. Through this agenda, the administration does not seek punishment of individual
officials or political vendetta; it seeks to restore public values, pursue public interests, and regain the public’s
trust. In his press conference celebrating his 100 day in the president’s office, President Moon stressed
th
the need for rooting out deep-rooted evils, saying, “By eradicating deep-rooted evils, we can do away with
the foul plays and undue privileges that caused serious unfairness and inequality in our society and uphold
fairness and justice in our society.”
Then, the Committee for the Eradication of Deep-Rooted Evils was set up and had full autonomy to select
committee members and agendas, discuss the selected agendas, arrive at conclusions, and develop plans
for implementation. The Committee for the Eradication of Deep-Rooted Evils in the Military was launched
on September 25, 2017, for a five-month operation until February 28, 2018. During those five months, the
committee identified and rectified wrongful practices and corruptions in the military, thereby contributing to
the eradication of foul plays and undue privileges and creating a just and trusted military culture.
| Operation of the Committee for the Eradication of Deep-Rooted Evils in the Military | The committee
consists of nine experts outside the armed forces. The experts came from diverse backgrounds, including
auditing, law, human rights, and NGOs, and included Mr. Kang Ji-won—an attorney who served as the first
chairperson of the Juvenile Protection Committee in 1997. The committee designated ten recommended
agendas based on irregularities and unfair practices that had significant impacts on the society such as
defamation of the constitutional and democratic values, human rights violations, tarnishing of trust towards
the military, etc. Based on the designation, the committee operated subcommittees for each recommended
agenda with the relevant departments of the MND.
306 Appendix