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| Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, second from right, speaks during a meeting of top military commanders at the Joints Chiefs of Staff in Seoul, Monday. He stressed tighter vigilance against threats from North Korea's small unmanned aerial vehicles. Second from left is JCS Chairman Adm. Choi Yun-hee. / Yonhap |
Defense minister faces criticism for slack military readiness
By Kang Seung-woo
Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin finds himself with few allies.
President Park Geun-hye rapped the military Monday over North Korea's recent unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone, intrusions.
Lawmakers also are moving to see somebody take responsibility.
A relic from the previous administration, Kim, known for his "spirit of a soldier," is hanging on so precariously that one small push may topple him from office.
Of course, he can feel a small sense of security in conventional military wisdom that it is rare to sack a commander in the middle of a war, with the drone controversy still raging.
Kim has turned reticent in recent days. On Monday, he didn't say much.
Regarding the three recently found suspected North Korean UAVs, Park said, "Drones appear to have spied all over us, but our military didn't know about it."
She ordered that countermeasures be drawn up.
"We should take it seriously. North Korea has fired missiles and strengthened its reconnaissance," Park said.
With the North's drones emerging as a new security threat, the military has been acting as a Monday morning quarterback.
Kim held a meeting of top military commanders and ordered toughened vigilance to spot such drones.
"If North Korea developed the small unmanned aerial aircraft for reconnaissance purposes to enhance its relatively weak surveillance capability, it is expected to develop drones for secret infiltration and terrorism purposes in the future," Kim said.
"We should strengthen our military readiness to be able to monitor, detect, identify and strike (the drones) with existing military assets along the border."
As part of its anti-drone efforts, the defense ministry plans to induce low-altitude surveillance radar and anti-aircraft guns.
As the North's drones were found to have "cruised" the South's airspace, there is growing criticism of the defense minister for slack military discipline.
"Accountability must be demanded for all the fatal problems, including the absence of relevant intelligence, failure to be on guard, false reporting, flip-flopping and confusion," Rep. Shim Jae-chul of the ruling Saenuri Party said during a party meeting.
Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, co-leader of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, called for a thorough investigation and punishment for all those responsible.
"It's been revealed that three drones invaded our airspace and crashed in the past six months," he said during a party meeting. "We don't know how many drones have come and gone, hundreds or thousands of times."
However, the defense ministry said it is not appropriate to call someone to account because the North's small drone was only recently developed, with the South's military unable to deal with it.
"It is not trying to avoid responsibility, because we are aggressively set to handle a new threat," ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said in a briefing.
Along with the drone case, Minister Kim's involvement in allegations that the Cyber Command attempted to interfere in the presidential election in 2012 is also putting him in the hot seat.
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