Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

In a briefing at the National Assembly’s Defense Committee, Minister Lee assessed that the security situation on the Korean Peninsula is very grave, amid threats from North Korea including missile test launches and possible nuclear tests

Lee briefed on successful redeployment of MND building and JCS building

Ministry plans to build a new JCS building in new location by 2026

On May 17, Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-sup made the assessment that the security situation on the Korean Peninsula is very grave amid provocations from North Korea, including ongoing missile test launches and possible nuclear tests. Lee also stressed that our military is maintaining a strong defense posture to respond proactively to omnidirectional security threats based on the firm alliance between the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United States (US).

During a briefing on the security situation at the plenary session of the National Assembly’s Defense Committee, Lee expressed his willingness to commit to establishing an airtight military readiness posture and building a strong force with scientific technologies in support of freedom, peace and prosperity.

Lee also reported that various tasks, including access, security, and information network system, have been in normal operation since the completion of the redeployment of the Ministry of National Defense (MND) building and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) building.

“We have successfully completed the redeployment of the buildings. We will pay closer attention to preventing any disturbance to work or other difficulties caused by dispersed work,” Lee said.

In the briefing, the MND explained the future direction for incorporation and relocation, as well as the progress of building relocation. In a briefing on the pending issues, the ministry unveiled its plan to build a new JCS building in a new location.

The ministry plans to push to build a new JCS building in new location as a mid-to-long-term project for ‘integrated relocation of the MND and the JCS,’ with the aim of unifying work in wartime with work in peacetime. In keeping with the plan, the ministry decided to relocate the ministry in the existing JCS building, and redeploy the ministry’s departments that had been relocated to the site previously used by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration into the adjacent building.

The ministry plans to work on a precedent study and consultations on the project feasibility analysis, with the aim of finishing the construction of a new JCS building in the new location by 2026. It was predicted in the precedent study that the required cost will be recovered.

In the short term, the ministry also decided to examine the plan to redeploy the ministry’s service support group and departments deployed in the ministry’s convention and the military court in the adjacent building by the end of the year, and to relocate the cyber command moved into the building adjacent to the ministry in an available building, such as the security assistance command. The ministry expected that about 16.7 billion won will be spent on the short-term project to redeploy departments.

The ministry also briefed that it has confirmed that no cyber infringement or security accidents occurred as a result of the inspection on access and security, as well as cyber threats, in the process of relocating MND headquarters, JCS headquarters, and other defense facilities headquarters from April 7 to May 5.

The ministry also put forward a restructuring plan for defense expenditure involving 951.8 billion won for operating expenses for military forces, as the government drew up the second supplementary budget to ensure compensation for small business owners and stable support for public welfare given current high prices.

The 2nd plan for supplementary budget in 2022 presented by the ministry includes a 112.5 billion won increase in the meal budget for soldiers to secure the quality of their meals considering the surge in food prices, and a decrease of 1 trillion and 64.3 billion won in projects where execution within the year will be restricted.

By Chae-Mu, Im <lims86@dema.mil.kr >

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