Ministry of National Defense "Promoting Regular Inter-Korean Military Talks and Accelerating Transfer of Wartime Operational Control"

Minister of National Defense Seo Wook is attending the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 29th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter]The Ministry of National Defense announced on the 21st that it will faithfully implement the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement to contribute to the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula and will promote the regularization of inter-Korean military talks.

It also emphasized that it will accelerate the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) and ensure that if the United States adjusts its force posture, such as reducing the US Forces Korea, it will make decisions only after close consultation with the South Korean government.

On the afternoon of the same day, Minister of National Defense Seo Wook reported to President Moon Jae-in at the Blue House under the theme of "Strong Security, Proud Military, Cooperative Defense." The Ministry of National Defense presented seven core tasks to be pursued this year, including establishing an all-around defense posture.

Minister Seo stated, "We will faithfully implement the September 19 military agreement to build military trust and contribute to the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula." He added that if North Korea responds positively, they will realize joint excavation of remains at Arrowhead Hill in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), free movement in the Joint Security Area (JSA) of Panmunjom, and promote the regularization of inter-Korean military talks by forming and operating the Inter-Korean Military Joint Committee.

This came after President Moon said at the New Year's press conference on the 18th that the Inter-Korean Military Joint Committee could discuss joint US-ROK military exercises with North Korea, and Minister Seo reiterated the willingness for dialogue. The military agreement includes provisions for activating the Inter-Korean Military Joint Committee to discuss important military issues such as military exercises.

Through reference materials, the Ministry of National Defense explained, "We will push for full implementation of the September 19 military agreement through inter-Korean military talks," and "We will also prepare detailed plans for the withdrawal of all guard posts (GPs) within the DMZ and agree and implement them with the North."

Minister Seo evaluated, "North Korea recently reorganized its state governance system through the 8th Party Congress and hinted at conditional improvements in relations with the South and the US, while unveiling plans to strengthen national defense capabilities and economic development."

Regarding the transfer of OPCON, he said, "We will create conditions for OPCON transfer through active policy consultations early in the Biden administration," and emphasized, "We will make all-out efforts to produce advanced results to accelerate OPCON transfer, such as raising the priority of OPCON transfer by increasing the Biden administration's policy interest."

On the possibility of adjustments to US Forces Korea, the Ministry of National Defense stated, "Matters related to force posture adjustments, such as reduction of US Forces Korea or additional force deployments, will be decided only after close consultation with our government and will be continuously managed," and added, "We will enhance the joint understanding between South Korea and the US on the role and necessity of US Forces Korea for preventing armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula and for peace and stability in Northeast Asia."

Regarding North Korea's unveiling of various ballistic missiles at military parades held consecutively last year and this year, Minister Seo said, "As a preemptive measure against North Korea's missile threats, we will flexibly operate our missile detection and interception assets and enhance our counter-firepower capabilities," and emphasized, "We will continue to strengthen key forces such as the development of high-power ballistic missiles, mass production and deployment of 'Cheongung-II' (surface-to-air guided missile)."

The Ministry of National Defense explained that South Korea and the US set future tasks for the Deterrence Strategy Committee (DSC) and conducted joint research to strengthen extended deterrence capabilities in September and October last year.

The Ministry emphasized, "Our people have suffered anxiety due to North Korea's ballistic missiles launched repeatedly, but a Korean-style missile defense system that detects and tracks ballistic missiles in real time has been established."

Minister Seo reported that to foster a digital strong military in line with the 4th Industrial Revolution, "We will pilot the establishment of the Army Smart Division (9th Division 28th Brigade), Navy Smart Naval Base (2nd Fleet), and Air Force Smart Flying Unit (20th Fighter Wing)," and added, "We will lead research and development to apply AI (artificial intelligence), drones, and robots across all defense fields as game changers in future warfare, recognizing this as a top priority task to drive national industrial growth and concentrate defense capabilities."

He also explained, "We will study the future military structure development direction in preparation for 2040," and "We will develop military operational concepts to prepare for the upcoming second demographic cliff and changes in the security environment, and radically redesign the unit structures of the Army, Navy, and Air Force accordingly."

The Ministry of National Defense plans to prepare a basic analysis report on 'long-term military structure development,' including appropriate troop levels and reserve force sizes considering population decline, by June, and a higher-level policy document by December. It appears highly likely that the appropriate standing force size will be assessed to be below 500,000 in the long term.