THAAD probe can lead to reform
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By Jun Ji-hye
Cheong Wa Dae’s investigation into the controversial deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here has ended in less than a week, with only one high-level official of the defense ministry being disciplined.
Opposition parties criticized the government, claiming that the probe into the ministry’s omission of key information about the deployment in a policy report to the Moon Jae-in administration started strongly but ended with an anticlimax.
Indeed, the outcome of the probe failed to punish the leadership of the defense sector, including Defense Minister Han Min-koo and former National Security Office chief Kim Kwan-jin who have been suspected of concealing the deployment process that began under the former Park Geun-hye government.
Not many people seem to believe that it was Deputy Minister for Policy Wee Seung-ho’s unilateral action to omit details on the arrival of four additional THAAD launchers. Wee was named to the position only in January, months after South Korea agreed with the United States on the deployment after fierce controversy and protests.
Therefore, criticism against the government seems fully understandable.
But it seems improper to view the Moon administration’s quick finalization of its investigation into the incident, which the President described as “very shocking,” as its abandonment of reform of defense that has long been criticized for holding fast to secrecy and frequently involved in corruption.
It seems more proper to see it as the government’s move to take a step backward to take two steps forward toward its goal.
The THAAD deployment is a very sensitive national security issue amid mounting nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. There is little for Moon, who was attacked during the campaign for what his critics say was his “unstable view” of security, to gain if he locks horns with the military for too long.
The issue is also directly related to an alliance between South Korea and the United States that are scheduled to hold a summit later this month in Washington. Again, it is no good for the government to allow it to drag on.
It is expected that Moon will pursue his defense reform drive in earnest once a new defense minister is appointed. Measures include restructuring the military’s top command structure and increasing the number of civilian leaders.
Moon already named Suh Choo-suk, a reform-minded researcher, as vice defense minister, Tuesday, signaling a willingness to speed up defense reform. Suh replaced Hwang In-moo, a retired three-star Army general who graduated from the elite Korea Military Academy.
For its part, the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) is moving to conduct a full inspection into the Park government’s THAAD deployment decision-making process and look into her security lineup, according to sources, Wednesday.
The possibility of legal action against former and incumbent defense officials cannot be ruled out if any irregularities during the deployment process are discovered by the BAI’s follow-up inspection.
“There is the possibility the government will find other issues to punish Han and Kim for if it is hard to hold them responsible for the deployment,” a source said.
Coincidentally or not, the BAI has already launched an investigation into the controversial F-X program, under which Seoul decided to buy Lockheed Martin F-35s in 2014. At the time, Kim was serving as a defense minister.