Military reform faces setback amid mounting scandal
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Defense Minister Song Young-moo listens to a lawmaker’s remarks while attending a plenary session at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Friday. Song pledged to stop political interference by the military amid an escalating scandal over the Defense Security Command planning to mobilize troops to control protestors last year. / Yonhap
Back-scratching alliance between Cheong Wa Dae and DSC should be severed
By Lee Min-hyung
Defense Minister Song Young-moo's pledge to stamp out deeply-rooted military corruption is rapidly losing steam amid a mounting scandal over the Defense Security Command's (DSC) plan to declare martial law last year.
Song's ambitious drive, better known as “Defense Reform 2.0,” outlines drastic reforms in five areas, including structure, management, culture and the defense industry
But the snowballing controversy is casting a gloomy outlook for him to turn into reality the grand blueprint which he thinks will make the nation's armed forces more transparent and efficient.
Starting this month, the defense ministry is facing its worst-ever crisis for its alleged involvement in the nationwide scandal that the DSC planned to mobilize troops to possibly quell pro-democracy protestors earlier last year who demanded the ouster of disgraced former President Park Geun-hye.
The scandal came after a document, which specified a plan by the military intelligence unit, was unveiled here. The document was written in March last year during the Park administration.
But the controversy is deepening, with the embattled defense minister turning out to have failed to report the document to Cheong Wa Dae for a few months after he became aware its existence in March.
A special investigation team is conducting an in-depth probe into who masterminded the plan.
The scandal-tainted DSC will likely continue to put a brake on Song's military reform packages, raising doubts that he may have to resign to take full responsibility for the inept handling of the latest military scandal.
Officials argue that the DSC's massive political influence may have caused the latest controversy.
“Severing the back-scratching alliance between the presidential office and the DSC is a top priority to prevent a recurrence of the latest scandal,” said a government official who asked for anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.
The DSC is widely seen as an organization in a privileged position, as it can directly present reports to a president, bypassing the defense minister.
“It is crucial for the government to introduce measures to cut the long-lasting political ties between Cheong Wa Dae and the DSC,” he said. “This will be the first step for military reform.”
Last week, Song said he would devote himself to reform of the DSC which he said will be the pinnacle of the Defense Reform 2.0 drive.
The DSC is under investigation by a 30-member military team. The special investigation team began its probe into the scandal and those involved with the document last week.
Song will not exert influence on the investigation, as President Moon Jae-in ordered him to guarantee an independent and autonomous probe by the team.
The official also pointed out that Song is in a very hard position to conduct the drastic reform encompassing the military due to his background as a Navy officer.
It will be very tough for him to tighten his leadership under the current military structure where Army officers take key decision-making posts, he said.
“Under the current system, Army officers are much more likely to be promoted to powerful positions, than the Navy or Air Force,” he said. On top of that, the Army-centered military structure inhibited balanced military growth, resulting in ideological conflicts between Army and non-Army officers.
“One possible scenario for balanced growth of the military is to establish a system under which officials from the Army, Navy and Air Force can be given a fair opportunity to take key decision-making posts,” said the official.
“Some may have to fall victim to such a new system, but in the long run, this will help build a fair and advanced military ecosystem,” he said. “This is not an easy task that can be realized shortly, but for full-fledged military reform, the reorganization of personnel management system is very crucial.”
Under such a system, upcoming defense ministers ― those from a non-Army background ― will be able to hold a tighter grip on the military, according to the official.
To look into the Army-driven internal structure, the defense ministry formed the special investigation team with non-Army and non-DSC military prosecutors.
It remains to be seen whether Song can overcome the ongoing crisis without being replaced during a possibly Cabinet reshuffle this year.
“I will completely reform the military by correcting the wrongdoings of the past and improving legal systems,” Song said in a recent speech, reiterating his determination to carry out military reform. “This will allow the armed forces not to be swayed by ideology and politics.”
“Our military forces will solidly push ahead with the Defense Reform 2.0, and this is the future mission of the military, nation and our offspring,” he said.
Meanwhile, the presidential office unveiled Friday part of the 67-page-long military document regarding the DSC's detailed plans during the Park administration to dispatch armored brigaded of tanks and armored vehicles to 494 major areas including Gwanghwamun and Yeouido.
According to presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom, Cheong Wa Dae decided to unveil the document following an order from President Moon Jae-in.
Aside from the planned declaration of the martial law, the controversial document included the DSC's plans to run a special team to control media reports in case of the declaration.
The team has yet to decide whether to launch an investigation into Song for his inept handling of the document, including his belated report to the presidential office.