• Site Map
  • PDF
  • Subscription
  • Register
  • LogIn
  • Site Map
  • PDF
  • Subscription
  • Register
  • LogIn
National
  • Politics
  • Inter-Korean summit 2018
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Embassy News
  • Defense Affairs
  • Foreign Communities
  • Investigations
  • Easy Korean
  • Oddly Enough
  • Diseases & welfare
  • Labor & environment
  • Education
  • Seoul & provinces
  • Obituaries
  • Photo News
Thu, April 26, 2018 | 03:07
      • North Korea
      • Entertainment
        • Music
        • Dramas & TV shows
        • Movies
        • Performances
        • Exhibitions
        • Photo News
      • Opinion
        • Editorial
        • Columnists
          • Park Moo-jong
          • Choi Sung-jin
          • Tong Kim
          • Lee Seong-hyon
          • Andrew Salmon
          • John Burton
          • Jason Lim
          • Donald Kirk
          • Kim Ji-myung
          • Michael Breen
          • Hyon O'Brien
          • Younghoy Kim Kimaro
          • Deauwand Myers
          • Bernard Rowan
          • Casey Lartigue, Jr.
          • Stephen Costello
          • Semoon Chang
          • Korean Historical Sense
        • Reporter's Notebook
        • Guest Column
        • Thoughts of the Times
        • Letter to the Editor
        • Times Forum
        • Cartoon
        • Today in History
      • Economy
        • Policies
        • Finance
        • Economic Essay Contest
        • Photo News
      • Biz & Tech
        • Automotive
        • IT
        • Heavy industries
        • Light industries
        • Science
        • Game
        • Photo News
      • National
        • Politics
        • Inter-Korean summit 2018
        • Foreign Affairs
        • Embassy News
        • Defense Affairs
        • Foreign Communities
        • Investigations
        • Easy Korean
        • Oddly Enough
        • Diseases & welfare
        • Labor & environment
        • Education
        • Seoul & provinces
        • Obituaries
        • Photo News
      • Culture
        • Books
        • Religions
        • Healthcare
        • Food
        • Fortune Telling
        • Hotel & Travel
        • Fashion
        • Korean Traditions
        • Trend
        • Photo News
      • Sports
        • Football
        • Baseball
        • Golf
        • Other Sports
        • 2018 PyeongChang
        • Photo News
      • World
        • SCMP
        • Asia Pacific
        • Americas
        • Europe
        • Middle East
        • Africa
      • Video
        • News
        • Feature
        • ShowBiz
      • Photos
      • Community
        • Time Forum
        • Market Place
        • Talk Box
        • Study Plaza
      • Learning English
    ---------------
    Defense chief-nominee vows air strikes if attacked
    Posted : 2010-12-03 18:59
    Updated : 2010-12-03 18:59

    Defense Minister-designate Kim Kwan-jin speaks about how he will deal with North Korea during a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly, Friday. / Korea Times

    By Na Jeong-ju

    The defense minister-nominee vowed Friday to use fighter jets to bomb North Korean targets in the event of an additional attack on South Korea, saying he considers the North Korean leadership and military as the country’s “main enemy.”

    He also defended Seoul’s decision in June to postpone regaining wartime operational control from the United States by more than three years to December 2015, alleging the country’s military needs enough time to fully prepare for the transfer.

    “Should the enemy attack our territory and people once again, we will fight back resolutely. I’ll order air strikes to completely remove the source of threats, if necessary,” Kim Kwan-jin said during a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly.

    The nominee said he was considering defining the North Korean leadership and military, not its people, as the South’s main enemy in the defense white paper.

    “What’s urgent now is to enhance combat readiness and build a strong military that is trusted by the people,” he said.

    The 61-year-old former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was tapped by President Lee Myung-bak as the defense chief a week ago, just days after a South Korean border island in the West Sea was shelled by the North Korean military, the first attack on civilians since the 1950-53 Korean War. If approved by the National Assembly, he will succeed Kim Tae-young.

    “Our military failed to carry out its basic duty of protecting the lives of the people and their properties,” Kim said, referring to the artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island and the North’s torpedoing in March of a South Korean naval ship that killed 46 sailors.

    “We are now facing the most serious security crisis since the Korean War.”

    The defense ministry confirmed that it was reviewing whether to use the term main enemy in describing the North’s military in the biennial defense paper, which will be published later this month.

    Public criticism has been mounting here over the military’s alleged poor response to the shelling of Yeonpyeong, which killed two civilians and two marines as well as destroyed dozens of civilian homes.

    The government has also come under fire for failing to take necessary measures even after the intelligence agency detected signs of a possible North Korean attack on one of the five western border islands in August.

    President Lee vowed a firm response to further provocation by the Kim Jong-il regime, but his public support dipped sharply by more than 10 percentage points to about 30 percent following the attack, according to sources from the presidential office.

    The minister-nominee said he will revise the rules of engagement to give more power to the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and to field commanders in determining the level of response to attacks by North Korea.
    skim@koreatimes.co.kr More articles by this reporter


     
     
    • Two Koreans killed in Toronto van attack
    • South Korea reports first tick-borne disease death in 2018
    • Man arrested for allegedly selling child porn
    • Kim's 'bitter sorrow' as bus crash kills 32 Chinese tourists [PHOTOS]
    • Revealed: Dishes to be served at historic Moon-Kim dinner [PHOTOS]
    • Koreas to hold summit rehearsals Wednesday
    • Shareholders urged to stop Korean Air owner family
    • Peace treaty not possible without US: Moon
    • US gov't inspects Korean banks over compliance issues
    • Former KBS announcer divorces ex-lawmaker
    • In preparation for Moon-Kim summit

    • Pink Run Marathon

    • Human rights chief meets Swiss envoy

    • Wish for successful hosting

    • You can take your hands off

    • Sophia in Seoul

    • Caught a whopper!

    • 2018 Imjin Classic

    • Torch relay at 'freedom village

    • Veterans association donates $10,000 to USFK

    Missile attack on Syria
     
    • About Korea Times
    • CEO Message
    • Times History
    • Contents Distribution
    • Media Kit
    • Contact Us
    • Location
    • Privacy Statement
    • Ombudsman
    • Mobile Service
    • PDF Service
    • RSS Service