By Jung Sung-ki
Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin stressed Tuesday that the nation’s military should further enhance its combat readiness, calling for eradicating complacency and bureaucratic practices.
Kim made the remarks during a meeting with some 15 top military brass and senior defense officials at the ministry in Seoul.
At the beginning of the meeting, President Lee Myung-bak delivered a video message, calling for efforts to build a stronger but more effective military, Jang Kwang-il, deputy minister for policy, told reporters.
Lee also asked the military to come up with ways to respond to the North’s low-intensity provocation and asymmetrical warfare tactics, Jang said.
“The meeting was held in a more determined and resolute mood than ever,” Jang said. “Minister issued a set of directives on efforts to overcome the current crisis as well as to regain the public trust.”
The minister reiterated the military should be a combat-ready armed force.
“The minister pointed to three points creating current problems with the military,” the deputy minister noted.
First, the military has often forgotten its wartime duty; second, complacency has been rampant; and third, the military is sometimes more devoted to paperwork rather than combat missions.
To resolve these problems, the minister directed that field commanders be given more authority to conduct combat operations based on his or her decisions, said Jang.
Should the North launch an attack again, field commanders concerned would direct a counterattack before reporting it to the upper hierarchy, he said.
Minister Kim also reiterated that he will invoke the right of self-defense if Pyongyang attacks the South, regardless of the current rules of engagement that call for proportional counterattacks.
“The U.S. side has already expressed its recognition of Seoul’s self-defense right,” said the deputy minister.