By Jung Sung-ki
Staff reporter
Defense Minister Kim Tae-young pledged Tuesday to improve the military's intelligence, surveillance, and anti-submarine warfare capability in an attempt to thwart North Korean provocation and invasion.
He also called for boosting the defense posture against the North's threats of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, as well as ballistic missiles, and submarine and special forces attacks.
Kim made the pledge during a meeting of top military commanders at the ministry in Seoul, which was presided over by President Lee Myung-bak.
The move came amid growing calls to overhaul the military's crisis management system and defense readiness following the March 26 sinking of the warship Cheonan.
``We have to remember March 26 as a day of humiliation as our warship suffered a sudden attack,'' Kim said. ``We're reflecting severely on our actions and our military should be reborn based on analysis of that incident.''
The defense minister admitted that the military had failed to properly respond to the tragedy in the initial stages.
Saying that there are loopholes in the defense of land and sea border areas, Kim stressed that the defense posture should be adjusted.
Kim urged the top military brass to strengthen mental rearmament.
Outlining key countermeasures, the minister said, ``In response to the enemy's provocation, we'll remedy our operational readiness.''
To that end, he said, operational concepts in the West Sea will be altered.
He also said combined anti-submarine exercises between South Korean and U.S. Navies would be developed.
``We'll discuss detailed measures with the U.S. on joint sub exercises,'' Jang Kwang-il, deputy minister for policy, told reporters. ``Both sides will discuss an increase in the number of anti-sub exercises and new drill concepts.''
He also said the military plans to bolster its intelligence-gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to monitor and track signs of provocation more effectively.
The military will also overhaul its crisis management mechanism and improve combined naval search-and-rescue structures involving civil, government, military and police forces, he said.