Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

At the 2021 Year-End Meeting of Top Commanders of Armed Services,
Suh emphasizes maintenance of the peace process on the Korean Peninsula;
Suh also asks the military to build forward-looking defense capabilities
Participants discuss the state of defense issues this year and the direction forward for next year

Minister of National Defense Suh Wook asked all armed services to maintain the ‘best defense posture’ by strengthening training and education oriented around combat missions, with the establishment of a strict discipline and a mental readiness posture centering around commanders. 

“All armed services should continue to back up the peace process on the Korean Peninsula by maintaining the impetus of the implementation of the inter-Korean September 19 Military Agreement, including the remains excavation work at the demilitarized zone (DMZ),” Suh said in his opening remarks at the ‘2021 Year-End Meeting of Top Commanders of Armed Services’ held in the main building of the ministry on December 10.

Suh asked all members of the armed services to “do their best next year, as always, to fulfill the mission given by the country and the people,” stressing that the military should △ ensure the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula by establishing an omnidirectional defense posture, △ build future-driven defense capabilities, △ build a happy military environment and foster armed services trusted by the people, and △ remain politically neutral, in order to achieve ‘strong security, proud military, and cooperative defense.’

The meeting was attended by the main commanders and staff officers of the Ministry of National Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), and each armed service, including Chairperson of the JCS Won In-choul, Chief of Staff of the Army Nam Yeong-shin, Chief of Staff of the Navy Boo Suk-jong, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Park In-ho, Commander of Marine Corps Kim Tae-seong, and Commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) Jeong Seok-hwan, and the main officers of state-run agencies, MMA, and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. The other officers took part in the meeting from the JCS, the headquarters of each armed service, and operations commands via a video link, due to the special quarantine measures imposed to address the renewed spread of COVID-19 cases, including the recent emergence of the Omicron variant.

Participants discussed the results of the main defense issues this year, including △ the establishment of an omnidirectional defense posture, △ the development of the ROK-US alliance and the strengthening of defense cooperation, △ building the Defense Reform 2.0 initiative and future defense capabilities, and △ building a happy defense environment and trusted armed forces, and the direction to move forward next year.

The main commanders and officers pledged to respond to terror incidents and threats from surrounding countries, while maintaining firm military readiness for the establishment of an omnidirectional defense posture, and mastering the implementation of required combat missions through strengthened education and training. They also promised to strive to build an AI-based scientific boundary system and training system, and continue to back up the ROK-US joint ‘customized deterrence strategy’ and our military’s ‘nuclear and WMD response system.’ It was further agreed that the commanders would actively push for the reinforcement of the counterterrorism operation unit’s high-tech equipment and logistics, and the development of joint defense space strategies and concepts. The participants also agreed to provide military support to the government’s efforts to build a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, including the remains excavation work in the White Horse Hill at the DMZ and the resumption of tours to the Joint Security Area (JSA) in Panmunjeom on the South side. 

In terms of the ROK-US alliance and defense cooperation, participants agreed to operate high-level exchanges and consultative groups, including the ROK-US Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) and ROK-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD), and to develop public diplomacy activities, in order to strengthen the alliance between the ROK and the US and accelerate the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON). Significantly, they will assess the future combined command’s full operational capability (FOC), and continue to build the conditions for the OPCON transfer linked to other alliance issues. The participants also agreed to work to enhance cooperation with various countries around the world and expand defense, as well as to accomplish the New Southern Policy by expanding and strengthening cooperation with ASEAN countries in the areas of defense, security, and defense industry. 

In terms of the Defense Reform 2.0 initiative and the establishment of future defense capabilities, participants promised to reorganize both state-run troops and combined troops, in order to optimize mission accomplishment and raise the efficiency of organization management amid the guarantee of the conditions for the promotion of unit re-organization. They also promised to work for the tangible achievement of smart defense by pushing for defense innovation in various areas, while working on force improvement for each armed service, in order to reinforce strategic, operational, and comprehensive response capabilities.

　Participants also agreed to build a happy defense environment and foster a trusted military by achieving an advanced barracks culture that can be recognized by the public. Following this, they promised to keep working on the improvement of all other areas next year, including the establishment of an advanced barracks culture, the improvement of the meal system for soldiers, the prevention of sexual assault, the guarantee of human rights and basic rights, and military judiciary reform. In terms of COVID-19 response and military backup, the group pledged to provide available assets to the people until they can return to normal life, as well as to administer COVID-19 booster shots to all soldiers. 

　Participants also built a consensus on the importance of preventing potential accidents in the military, as well as sexual assault, by providing prevention education to soldiers, and exchanged opinions on the issue. 

　“Our country has repeatedly been able to develop and advance by turning crisis into opportunity. This cannot possibly be realized by a single person under his or her own power,” Suh explained. “We need to adopt the mindset of people who cooperate in harmony to achieve great work, as we have always emphasized,” he said, stressing “defense should unwaveringly move forward in the right way.”

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

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