Page 161 - 2020 Defence White Paper

general and director-level positions that require administrative expertise, except
those requiring the expertise of active duty personnel, to regular public official
positions, thereby achieving results in civilian control. Based on such efforts, if
civilian manpower with expertise in the defense and military fields is to be gradually
increased and servicemembers are to be assigned based on positions that require
military expertise, the MND will be able to establish optimal defense policies for
the use of military force, while the ROK Armed Forces will be able to focus on their
inherent missions.
Furthermore, to achieve civilian control in major positions in defense education
and research institutes, which aim to enhance expertise in the field of defense
education and research, in 2017, a civilian was appointed as the president of the
Korea Institute of Defense Analysis (KIDA). The MND is seeking to revise the Act
on the Establishment of the Korea National Defense University to also appoint a
civilian instead of a general officer as the president of the Korea National Defense Chapter 5
University.
Discussions are underway with the relevant ministries to convert some of the
positions for professors from active duty personnel to civilian professors to secure
outstanding faculty so as to strengthen the educational capabilities of the Korea
National Defense University and the military academies.

Enhancing the Expertise of Public To create an environment where ci-
Officials in the MND in Security and vilian officials with expertise in the
Military Areas security and military areas and pro-

fessional soldiers develop mutually in
accordance with the trend of civilian control, public officials at the headquarters of
the MND need to enhance their military expertise in order to understand and
empathize with the positions of each service.
To this end, the MND operates a customized education system by rank to enhance
the military expertise of its officials. For public officials to advance to higher ranks,
they are required to complete a mandatory training course on military operations
and weapons systems to gain military expertise. The MND intends to strengthen
the decision-making capabilities of public officials in management positions, such as
high-ranking public officials in particular, by offering a curriculum in international
affairs and security strategies.
Going forward, the MND will continue to make efforts to enhance the military
expertise of public officials for the successful implementation of civilian control of
the military.

Chapter 5. Establishing a Fair, Transparent, and Efficient National Defense Operation System 159