Ministry of Defense urged to reexamine transfer of wartime operational control
Security situation and defense capacity are key considerations for presidential transition team
The presidential transition team on January 8 urged the Ministry of National Defense to reexamine the timeline for SeoulÕs takeover of wartime operational control (OPCON) of its military from the United States. The ministry will also be required to review a plan to downsize the number of armed forces from about 680,000 to 500,000 by 2020.
The proposed measures are part of campaign pledges made by President-elect Lee Myung-bak during the presidential election, but their implementation is unclear, partially because the United States has reacted negatively to the idea of readjusting the timetable for returning wartime operational control to Korea.
During the Defense MinistryÕs briefing, an official with the transition team said, ÒRegarding the transfer of OPCONl, we should consider the security situation of the Korean Peninsula and our defense capacity. It is necessary to reexamine the timeline in consultation with the United States.Ó
South Korea and the United States initially agreed that OPCON would be transferred to Korea in 2012. The Defense MinistryÕs briefing indicated that the plan will be executed as scheduled after close consultation between the two nations and it will review the necessity of readjusting the timetable for the transfer in tandem with the changing security environment.
The transition team also expressed a desire to revise the Defense Reform 2020 plan, saying that cutting the number of armed forces excessively could cause instability, and citing North KoreaÕs nearly 1.2 million armed forces, short-range missiles and development of nuclear weapons. The ministry said that it would supplement the plan considering changes in the security situation and budget.
Under the law for defense reform, which passed the National Assembly last year, the ministry is required to evaluate the nationÕs security situation every three years, and the first evaluation will be made in 2008. However, during the ministryÕs briefing for the transition team, there were no detailed discussions on the reduction of armed forces, said Lee Dong-kwan, the teamÕs primary spokesperson.
The transition team requested that the ministry hold regular meetings with the United States on foreign and defense affairs to strengthen the ROK-U.S. alliance and resolve the problem of South Korean POWs held in North Korea. The team also proposed that restrictions regarding the Military Demarcation Line should be eased.
©Hani, Korea