Seoul Capable of Striking NK Nuclear Sites

Gen. Kim Tae-young
Nominee for defense minister

By Lee Tae-hoon
Staff Reporter

South Korea's defense-minister nominee said Friday the military has confirmed the location of North Korea's nuclear sites.

Kim Tae-young, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and defense minister-designate, gave the affirmative answer to a question from a ruling party lawmaker at his National Assembly confirmation hearing.

Asked about a possible preemptive strike on the Communist North, the nominee said the South is capable of striking target sites before it uses nuclear weapons.

Also at the hearing, Gen. Kim hinted at the possibility of reviewing a plan to shorten the length of compulsory military service.

``I believe it will be necessary for us to review the plan if the ongoing economic downturn is extended,'' said Gen. Kim at a National Assembly hearing. Kim said that a defense budget cut is expected next year.

``The Ministry of Strategy and Finance is reviewing trimming the annual budget down to 29.6 trillion won ($25 billion),'' Kim said.

The Ministry of Defense asked for an annual budget of 30.8 trillion won, up 7.5 percent from this year.

Yet, the nominee said he was optimistic the economy will recover in the coming years and that he will cut down the number of high-ranking military officials in order to run the military with a tighter budget.

``I expect the economy will pick up next year, as well as the following year,'' Kim said. ``Also, I have been trying to reduce the number of lieutenants and generals.''

Rep. Kim Jang-soo of the governing Grand National Party (GNP), however, expressed deep concerns over reducing the number of soldiers.

``Preconditions for military reform and the reduction of troops were that the government provided the required budget and the military beefed up its strategic defenses,'' said Kim, a former defense minister.

He said the military is not yet ready to reduce troop numbers and the length of military service.

The ministry has cut the mandatory service period by one day every three weeks since late 2005 when the Defense Reform 2020 policy was initiated with the aim of slashing it by six months by 2014.

Currently, conscripted soldiers serve slightly less than 22 months for the Army and Marines, about 24 months for the Navy and approximately 25 months for the Air Force.

The plan is part of the previous Roh Moo-hyun administration's programs to build slimmer yet more efficient armed forces.

leeth@koreatimes.co.kr

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