By Na Jeong-ju
Staff reporter
President Lee Myung-bak called on the military Thursday to have an open mind in working together with the civilian sector to find ways to improve its defense capabilities.
"It was fishermen who found the wreckage of the sunken Navy vessel Cheonan and the debris of a North Korean torpedo that had hit the warship," Lee said during a meeting with newly-appointed military commanders at Cheong Wa Dae. "The military should be open-minded in collaborating with civilians to provide better services."
Expressing his resolve on national security as the commander-in-chief of the military, Lee also pledged measures to enhance the country's risk management system, said Lee Dong-kwan, senior presidential secretary for public relations.
Participants included Army Chief of Staff Gen. Hwang Eui-don; Gen. Jung Seung-jo, deputy commander of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command; and Gen. Park Jung-i, commander of the First ROK Army.
The new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Han Min-koo, couldn't attend the ceremony because the National Assembly has not yet approved his appointment.
They were promoted to the positions Monday as part of a reshuffle of top military commanders. A follow-up shakeup of three-star generals will be made as early as next week.
Last week, state auditors recommended that the 25 military generals, officers and civilian officials be disciplined for mishandling the Cheonan sinking, which claimed the lives of 46 sailors.
Gen. Park, who led a multinational investigation into the March 26 sinking, met with the President upon arrival from New York, where he had briefed members of the U.N. Security Council on the results of the investigation.
Park told the President that Turkey and France described the briefing "perfect" and proposed punitive measures against North Korea.
Separately, Lee explained details of the incident to representatives from 52 countries and they expressed their full support for South Korea in pushing for UNSC sanctions against North Korea, according to Cheong Wa Dae.