Tag: ROK military

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.

It didn't help to build a lot of confidence. https://t.co/1UtDtHH7Kr

— John Lee (The Korean Foreigner) (@koreanforeigner) November 20, 2018

I am not sure what authorities the Defense Security Command had, but if they were conducting illegal surveillance than people should be held accountable:

A special military probe team has indicted four senior uniformed officers, including two general-grade ones, for their alleged role in the illicit surveillance of family members of victims in a 2014 ferry disaster, investigators said Tuesday.

The team wrapped up its monthslong inquiry into the allegations that officials of the now-defunct Defense Security Command (DSC) monitored the victims’ families to minimize the political impact of the tragic incident that laid bare the government’s ineptitude in crisis management.

Investigators indicted and detained a major general, a brigadier general and a colonel for issuing directives for the purported surveillance. Another colonel was also indicted without detention on the same charges.

The ferry Sewol sank in waters off the country’s southwestern island of Jindo on April 16, 2014, leaving more than 300 passengers dead or missing. The bereaved families’ criticism of the government’s response to the disaster worsened public sentiment against the then-Park Geun-hye administration.  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link, but the Moon administration has already “reformed” the Defense Security Command:

https://www.rokdrop.net/2018/08/south-korean-committee-claims-they-want-to-reform-defense-security-command/

This looks like quite a concert to celebrate the ROK military’s 70th anniversary:

The South Korean military traded ballistic missiles for glowsticks and peace talk as K-pop stars helped celebrate the country’s 70th Armed Forces Day.

A ceremony Monday at the Korean War Memorial just south of the U.S. military’s Yongsan Garrison in Seoul marked the anniversary of South Korean forces crossing the 38th parallel during the 1950-53 conflict.

The event stood in stark contrast to last year’s ceremony, during which South Korean leaders spoke of nuclear deterrence and unveiled the Hyunmoo-2C — a ballistic missile with the range to hit anything in North Korea.

“Today, I am overwhelmed with excitement as I am able to discuss an era of peace,” South Korean President Moon Jae-in said at the ceremony, according to a translation of his remarks. “Now is the time for our military to stand at the forefront of peace on the Korean Peninsula,” he added. “Peace through strength is the mission of our armed forces.”  [Stars & Stripes]

You can read more at the link.

This undated file photo shows Army Gen. Park Han-ki, commander of the 2nd Operation Command, whom President Moon Jae-in named to lead the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Sept. 17, 2018. (Yonhap)

This ruling to me goes against good order and discipline in the ROK armed forces.  It makes me wonder if a cadet in a US military academy could do the same thing?:

The Supreme Court struck down a decision by a military academy to expel one of its cadets for unauthorized drinking, saying the academy’s code of conduct is too restrictive.

The ruling is expected to lead to sweeping changes in the so-called three bans that the military academies in South Korea have in their codes of conduct for cadets: prohibiting drinking, smoking and marriage.

The cadet, identified by his surname Kim, filed the suit after the Korea Army Academy expelled him in November 2015 for drinking a bottle of soju with friends in November 2014 and several shots of soju during a family dinner in April 2015.

The academy’s code of conduct bans drinking except when it is preapproved and unavoidable.  [Yonhap]

Here's an idea. Either make the SKorean military an all-volunteer force or keep the current system but don't exempt anyone. That was easy. https://t.co/1m9knKW58n

— John Lee (The Korean Foreigner) (@koreanforeigner) September 4, 2018

Major Gen. Kim Do-gyun (R), South Korea’s chief delegate, and his North Korean counterpart Lt, Gen. An Ik-san shake hands at the start of inter-Korean military talks at the truce village of Panmunjom on July 31, 2018. It is the second such talks since the April 27 inter-Korean summit, aimed at implementing agreements from the summit. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

Here is the latest on the martial law issue in South Korea:

Documents submitted by the defense ministry show the earlier reported proposal from the defense intelligence agency to declare martial law may have been more deliberate than earlier believed, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Friday, apparently implying the military may have actually sought to go ahead with such a plan.

Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said the military maintained and renewed its plans for a martial law every two years, but that the new documents submitted by the ministry showed significant changes and differences from the original plans.

“Usually, the military renews its martial law plans every two years,” the spokesman told a press briefing. “(Cheong Wa Dae) has confirmed the submitted documents are completely different from the existing plans.”

The military documents have been submitted after President Moon Jae-in made a special order for the defense ministry and the military to submit all documents related to the martial law proposal from the Defense Security Command (DSC), which reportedly came in the wake of protest rallies and candlelight vigils in late 2016 that led to the ouster of former President Park Geun-hye on suspicions of corruption.

Kim said the proposal even included plans to inspect and censor news articles.

Also, the DSC suggested the chief of the Army take control of a martial law command, instead of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under conventional military plans.

It also suggested the head of the National Intelligence Service be subject to leadership of the top military commander under its proposed martial law, suggesting military control of the government, as well as the top spy agency.

To the apparent surprise of many, the DSC even stressed a need to arrest and remove then opposition lawmakers who took part in the protest rallies against Park, partly to prevent the parliament from impeaching then-President Park and lifting the martial law, Kim explained.  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link, but remember the martial law plans were updated to prepare for massive riots if President Park was not impeached.  From what I have read these plans were for worst case scenarios.  If massive riots were to happen that the police could not handle and threatened the stability of the government, was the ROK military expected to just stand by and do nothing?

That is why I would not be surprised if this martial law issue is being sensationalized to create an excuse for the Blue House to replace ROK military leadership they feel are not ideologically friendly to their political goals.  Of course this will all be sold as “reforms” and not a purge.

Defense Minister Song Young-moo (C) presides over a hastily convened meeting of top military officers at the ministry in Seoul on July 16, 2018. The meeting came after President Moon Jae-in ordered the military to submit all documents to his office that are related to an alleged proposal by the Defense Security Command, a military intelligence unit, to consider imposing martial law to deal with possible unrest from nationwide protests last year demanding the ouster of then-President Park Geun-hye. (Yonhap)

Maybe US Defense Secretary Mattis’ recent trip to South Korea was to drop off a copy of the Army’s SHARP manual:  😉

Defense Minister Song Young-moo pledged Wednesday to eradicate the military’s political interference and sexual violence following a series of unsavory incidents that have sapped public confidence and troop morale.

Operatives from the cyber warfare command and the Defense Security Command (DSC) have been accused of having posted online comments in favor of former conservative governments in breach of their duty to maintain political neutrality.

This week, the military also came under fire after a senior Navy officer was put under emergency arrest for allegedly attempting to sexually assault his female subordinate while under the influence of alcohol.

“Recently, things that should never have happened in the military have occurred. These incidents have resulted in a tremendous loss of citizens’ confidence in the military,” the minister said in his opening remarks at an emergency meeting of about 40 top ministry and military officials on discipline.

“I, as the minister, will take measures to ensure that the illegal political interference by the DSC and cyber command will be the last in the history of our armed services. Also, through the efforts, I will try to make organizational, institutional and legal improvements,” he added.

The meeting that Song called to check on “lax discipline” comes amid concerns that the emerging mood for peace with North Korea and the recent suspension of a major South Korea-U.S. military exercise could weaken the allies’ military readiness.

At the meeting, participants focused on the causes of sexual violence and deadly accidents in the military, and measures to prevent them.  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link.