Someone should have asked the ROK defense minister what he meant by countering threats in all directions? Does he Japan is a military threat against South Korea?:
Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo speaks during a parliamentary session at the National Assembly in Seoul on Jan. 9, 2019. (Yonhap)
South Korea will increase defense spending by an average of 7.5 percent each year over the next five years with a focus on building “independent capabilities to counter threats from all directions,” Seoul’s defense ministry said Friday. The ministry announced its defense blueprint for the 2019-2023 period, during which it wants to spend 270.7 trillion won (US$241.9 billion) — 94.1 trillion won on improving defense capabilities and the rest on managing troops, equipment and facilities. Under the plan, the ministry seeks to increase the country’s defense budget, which stands at 46.7 trillion won this year, to 50.3 trillion won for 2020, 54.1 trillion won for 2021, 57.8 trillion won for 2022 and 61.8 trillion won for 2023.
The first criticism in the video is that the Japanese aircraft flew at a low and threatening altitude. Here is a screen capture from the ROK perspective of the patrol plane. Does this look like a threatening aircraft?:
The next claim is that Japan is wrong about being in compliance with international law. The ROK video shows that the altitude and distance level the Japanese aircraft maintained was applicable only to civil aircraft according to international law:
This actually discredits Korea’s criticism because then the Japanese patrol aircraft could then fly at whatever altitude it wanted if there is no international standard military aircraft are held to. If there was a military standard between the ROK and Japan I would think they would have included it in the video.
The next claim in the video is that the Korean ship did not use its fire control radar against the Japanese plane. The video says the ship only had its search radar on. To counter the Japanese claim of the use of a fire control radar the video focuses on the fact that no guns from the ship were pointed at the aircraft. This is a completely separate issue that the Japanese side has never claimed. The issue was the use of the fire control radar.
The video also asks that if the fire control radar was used why didn’t the plane use emergency measures to escape. Watching the Japanese video it is clear the crew knew no weapons were pointed at them and thus likely did not feel threatened by the Korean ship.
The next claim is that the Japanese radio communications were unclear. The video had just one short snippet of audio which was unclear. However, there was much more broadcasts by the Japanese plane. I can understand though how trying to understand English spoken with a Japanese accident over a radio could be difficult for the crew on the ROK ship to understand.
Regardless the whole radio issue is really not important compared to the fire control radar issue. The ROK video concludes demanding that the Japanese release their radar data. The technology that nation’s use to collect radar frequency data is sensitive information that I would be surprised is released. However supposedly the Japanese are now considering it:
The South Korean video is “awful,” a senior Defense Ministry official said, adding, “We have to keep rebutting.” The official noted that the South Korean video did not include radio messages sent by the Japanese patrol plane to the South Korean destroyer, which had been on the Japanese video. Depending on the responses of South Korea, Tokyo is considering releasing radar wavelength data, usually a military secret, as additional evidence for its claim, sources familiar with the situation said. Frustration is growing among an increasing number of Japanese government officials at South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s failure to act to resolve tensions over the incident.
Overall in my opinion the ROK video is not convincing, but will likely serve well for the domestic audience in Korea. Does anyone else have any other opinions on the ROK video?
Finally what is really amazing about this whole issue is that between most other countries this would likely be resolved internally between defense ministries instead of being fought over on Youtube. However, as we have seen with so many issues between ROK and Japan domestic politics get involved. As I have said repeatedly the Chinese and the North Koreans are loving this.
Enlisted soldiers will be allowed to stay off base for about four hours after hours during weekdays starting in February as part of efforts to protect the rights of conscripts. The Defense Ministry on Thursday announced a set of new guidelines that will allow soldiers to leave their base from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. up to twice a month. They can meet family and friends, pursue their studies or enjoy themselves as long as their fitness for combat is not affected. Currently conscripts are confined to the district where their barracks is for fear that they will not make it back in time in an emergency. But in future they can travel as far as a two-hour drive from their base. Some small businesses near bases were against the plan because they were afraid of losing customers, and some pundits warned the plans could affect discipline. But a ministry spokesman said, “We’re going to rely on common sense when we let soldiers spend time off base.”
I think this whole OPCON issue, just like the US-ROK cost sharing talks are all linked back to whatever the final outcome of the US and North Korea denuclearization talks are. Depending how that plays out the OPCON and cost sharing talks will get worked out as well:
South Korea’s defense chief on Thursday said the coming year will be a starting point for the test of the country’s ability to command its own troops in the event of a war. Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo made the remark as he presided over a meeting to assess the preparations for the transfer of wartime operational control from the United States. South Korea handed over operational control of its troops to the U.S.-led U.N. command during the Korean War. It retook peacetime OPCON in 1994, but wartime OPCON remains in the hands of the United States.
Here is what South Korea’s new defense minister had to say to his top general officers:
Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, clad in a black suit, and top commanders salute the national flag during a meeting in Seoul on Dec. 5, 2018. (Yonhap)
South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo on Wednesday stressed the importance of maintaining a robust defense posture to buttress the nascent peace process on the peninsula.
Presiding over a year-end meeting with more than 140 top commanders nationwide, the minister cited two pillars of the government’s security strategy: peace and strong defense capability.
“There should be no change, not even a little, to our military’s mission and role despite the easing of military tensions between the South and the North and confidence building,” Jeong said at the start of the session held at the Ministry of National Defense compound in Seoul. [Yonhap]
You can read more at the link, but it seems to me the cancelling of joint exercises is a major change to the ROK defense readiness.
The US is not yet knowing the Fact that ROK former men in uniform including Gen. Paik Sun-yup are currently opposing the Pro-NK Moon Admin, More than 500 of former Generals gathered at War Memorial and oppose the Inter-Korea Mil agreement! #ROKUS#USFKhttps://t.co/sMFoSZWR1X
While I was serving in the ROK Army, I heard quite a few conscripts say that if a war broke out, the first thing they'd do is kill the NCOs and then go home. I served less than 15km away from the DMZ.
There have been many ROK soldiers that have committed suicide serving on the DMZ, all evidence seems to point to this being the case once again:
In light of rumors about the death of a South Korean solider in a heavily fortified cross-border region last week, the military suggested that the death was an apparent suicide unrelated to the North Korean military.
In light of rumors about the death of a South Korean solider in the heavily fortified inter-Korean border region last week, the military has suggested the death was an apparent suicide unrelated to the North Korean military.
According to the Army, a 21-year-old private first class was found dead Friday at a guard post in the eastern section of the Demilitarized Zone. The soldier’s body was found hours after he was sent for night duty to monitor thermal observation devices installed along the DMZ.
On Sunday, the Army said security cameras showed the soldier had walked alone into a restroom after receiving live ammunition at the gate to the guard post. The soldier’s smartphone also showed records of searches for the term “suicide,” the Army added.
“Only one rifle and an empty shell were found inside the restroom,” the Army said in a text message to reporters, suggesting there was no evidence of forced entry or an attack by outsiders. [Korea Herald via a reader tip]
It looks like there is going to be a surge of Jehovah’s Witnesses in South Korea after this court ruling:
South Korea’s Supreme Court ruled Thursday that moral scruples and religious beliefs are valid reasons to refuse compulsory military service, a landmark change in the court’s decades-long stance on conscientious objection and one that’s expected to impact the fate of over 900 men.
Thursday’s verdict concerned only one defendant, a 34-year-old Jehovah’s Witness named Oh Seung-heon. In a nine to four vote, the full bench ordered an appellate court to retry his case, effectively clearing him of charges that he violated the Military Service Act. (…….)
Conscientious objection has long been a subject of public debate in South Korea.
More than 19,000 conscientious objectors were criminally punished under South Korean law since the 1950s, mostly serving 18 months in jail. A majority of those objectors were Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian sect that bases its refusal to serve in the military on Isaiah 2:4, a part of which reads, “Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”
South Korea’s Supreme Court said Thursday that it “violates the practice of tolerance towards minorities, a spirit of free democracy, to uniformly force the implementation of mandatory military service and criminally charge those who fail to fulfill.” In that sense, the court continued, conscientious objection falls into the category of a “valid reason” not to comply with the military’s call for enlistment. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
You can read more at the link, but the Jehovah’s Witness defendant did say he is willing to do mandatory civilian service. I wonder if there is a religious reason not to be part of the riot police?
It was a common sight to see ROK Army units ruck marching across the terrain north of Seoul, but it appears it may be coming to an end according to Dr. Tara O writing for the East Asia Research Center:
The Republic of Korea (ROK) Army plans to supply all its infantry, down to the squad level, with wheeled combat vehicles, including Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs), according to YTN’s article titled “Army to Supply Armored Vehicles to Infantry…Will Ruck Marches Disappear?” (……)
There are some positive aspects of incorporating new technology on the battlefield. There is also room for combining mechanized infantry with light infantry. Previous commanders have probably thought hard about the right force mix, if hostilities were ever renewed.
Even if new analysis suggested a need for a change in force mix, converting all light infantry units, which is the majority (65%) of the infantry in the ROK Army, into heavy, mechanized infantry units is problematic. The main element that has been ignored is the terrain of the Korean Peninsula. [East Asia Research Center]
You can read more at the link, but if this moves forward I agree with Dr. O that this a major strategic security concern to not have hardened light infantry units trained to fight in Korea’s mountainous terrain. The way things are going I would not be surprised if in the coming years the Moon administration tries to do away with the mandatory service requirement because “peace” has been declared with North Korea.
