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| Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin looks pensive during a session of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap |
By Kang Seung-woo
Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin is in the hot seat because of recent scandals within the military.
To make his situation worse, the 64-year-old is playing first fiddle in the uproar over allegations that Cyber Command attempted to interfere in last year's presidential election and the unexpected substitution of the commander of the Defense Security Command (DSC).
Although Kim, who took office in November 2010 and was retained by President Park Geun-hye in February, has only three weeks to go until the third anniversary of his appointment, there are growing rumors that his "decorated" career could be tarnished by a series of scandals, as he nears the end of his term
During last month's parliamentary audit, opposition party lawmakers raised questions that the cyber warfare unit's four members posted political messages against then opposition camp candidate Moon Jae-in ahead of the election in December.
The 400-staff Cyber Command is a unit under the direct command of the defense minister.
This involvement is now a hot-button issue in Korea in tandem with allegations against the nation's spy agency, already embroiled in similar allegations while its former director, Won Sei-hoon, is currently on trial for allegedly violating the Election Law.
The defense minister ordered a thorough investigation into the allegations in order to clear the air and the Criminal Investigation Command (CIC) raided the command. However so far, they have failed to come up with any clear evidence or answers.
In addition, the CIC is another unit under the direct command of the defense minister, so critics are casting doubts on the ministry's willingness to solve the problem.
While the issues surrounding Cyber Command continue to plague the minister, Kim's decision to replace a six month-tenured DSC chief has ignited an additional dispute after former commander Maj. Gen. Jang Kyung-wook complained about the defense minister's "unusual" selection of personnel.
Reportedly, the minister promoted those with whom he studied in Germany although they were not eligible for advancement and preferred those whose military occupation specialties were administrative over servicemen with experience in the field.
Jang complained about this to the minister. However, Kim showed no sign of changing his style and Jang reported this to Cheong Wa Dae.
Last week, Rep. Song Young-keun of the ruling Saenuri Party raised questions regarding the replacement and criticized the decision.
Kim, a native of Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, assumed the position in November 2010 following North Korea's bombardment of Yeonpyeong Island and has received a favorable evaluation thanks to his firm stance against Pyongyang's growing threats.
However, finding a breakthrough appears to be difficult now because of recent issues.
"Due to the unexpected replacement, many military personnel are seething and Kim's reputation suffered a setback," Song said.
A retired general said that his personnel selection has been at the center of the storm for a long time and this dissatisfaction finally erupted.
"It does not look easy to get over the current tough situation," he said in a media interview.
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