The Ministry of National Defense has announced a set of reform measures aimed at enhancing interoperability, securing active deterrence capabilities and maximizing efficiency. Unlike the previous “Defense Reform 2020” plan designed to prepare against potential threats in the future, the revision known as the “307 Plan” focuses on boosting military readiness against North Korea’s regional provocations and asymmetrical threats. That is, the military will respond to imminent, realistic security threats in a more proactive way. The new defense reform plan should be carried out effectively without delay to ensure a strong national security posture.
Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin announced 73 military reform tasks on Tuesday. The reform measures will be divided into short-, mid-and long-term projects for implementation. The core of the plan is to improve interoperability of the armed forces by restructuring the top military command structure. For more effective combined operations, the Joint Chiefs of Staff will perform the functions of a combined military. Accordingly, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will assume limited military administrative rights, which will help support the chairman’s role in leading military operations. Also, the operations commands of the Army, Navy and Air Force will be merged, and each of the three armed services will command the unified operations units.
The defense reform plan will also boost the South’s readiness against North Korean military threats. The Defense Ministry plans to improve capabilities to respond to North Korea’s direct threats via submarines and long-range artillery in the frontline area. Also, the military will bolster cyber security considerably to defend itself against cyber terror threats, like the recent distributed denial-of-service or DDoS attacks and disruptions in global position system or GPS signals.
In regards to the defense of West Sea border islands, the military will establish a defense command led by the commander of the Marine Corps in June. Since North Korea’s artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island, one of the five northwestern islands near the inter-Korean maritime border, military experts have called attention to the need to safeguard the frontline islands. The new command will lead the units on Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong islands during normal operations, but will also control the Army, Navy and Air Force in case of emergency.
The installment of advanced military equipment and the reorganization of the upper echelons of command comprise a visible reform measure. Meanwhile, intensive training and tightened discipline in the military barracks will bolster fortitude among the soldiers. Entrusting military units and equipment in the hands of strong-willed troops will contribute to national security.
There is a saying that peace is protected when there is no fear of war. This is particularly pertinent to the Korean Peninsula where South and North Korea stand eye to eye in military confrontation. The ultimate goal of Defense Reform 307 Plan is to defend peace by fostering a strong military.
