DSC head's regular presidential briefings to be halted

A military official enters the temporary office of a special investigation team into the Defense Security Command's alleged plan to declare martial law during anti-government protests, at the Ministry of National Defense compound in Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap

By Kim Rahn

The head of the Defense Security Command (DSC) will no longer make regular direct presidential briefings bypassing the defense minister, military sources said Wednesday.

The reform measure comes amid an ongoing investigation into the DSC's alleged plan for a possible crackdown on anti-government protesters from late 2016 to early 2017 by declaring martial law.

According to the sources, a reform committee under the Ministry of National Defense is discussing a new regulation that will prevent the DSC chief from reporting military intelligence directly to the president without making a prior report to the minister.

In previous administrations, DSC chiefs regularly had face-to-face presidential briefings about intelligence within the military, and sometimes about unlawful activities such as surveillance of opposition politicians and civilians critical of the government.

Due to such power, it was said that defense ministers and other ranking military officials had to be careful not to annoy DSC chiefs.

The committee believes ending direct reports to the president will be the beginning of DSC reform, according to the sources.

But there will be exceptions, such as when the intelligence is related to corruption and illegalities committed by the defense minister, chiefs of staff or other ranking military officials, and when Cheong Wa Dae gives direct orders in specific cases.

Cheong Wa Dae said President Moon Jae-in has never had a direct report from the DSC chief since his inauguration in May last year. “There hasn't been a single face-to-face direct report, and there will not be one, either,” a presidential office official said.

While an independent team started its investigation Monday into the DSC's alleged plan for the crackdown and declaration of martial law, the President separately ordered the relevant military organizations, including the ministry, the DSC, the Capital Defense Command and the Special Warfare Command, to submit any documents they had related to the allegation.

Cheong Wa Dae said the President, as the commander-in-chief, needs to confirm in person what really happened and whether the military really prepared to carry out the plan.

Upon the order, a special unit in the ministry has been visiting the involved organizations and units and collecting relevant documents.

Meanwhile, ruling Democratic Party of Korea Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae said the DSC plan to declare martial law was a “preparatory plot for rebellion.”

“It was a horrible plan to crack down on opposition lawmakers by bringing armored vehicles to the National Assembly during the candlelit protests,” Choo said. “The probe needs to find out who was in charge of the plan, and who in the military and Cheong Wa Dae were involved at the time.”

She said the DSC could face even dissolution if it refuses to make fundamental reform desired by the public.