Seo Wook: "Cheonghae Unit Successfully Completes Mission"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Defense Minister Seo Wook stated that "the Cheonghae Unit successfully completed its mission," prompting criticism from lawmakers of both ruling and opposition parties.

On the 26th, during the National Defense Committee plenary session, Seo responded to a question from Kim Byung-gi of the Democratic Party of Korea asking, "Do you consider the mission and operations carried out by the Cheonghae Unit a success or a failure?" by stating, "They successfully completed the mission."

In response, Seong Il-jong, the floor leader of the People Power Party, challenged Minister Seo, saying, "More than 90% were infected with contagious diseases due to insufficient preparation and had to return midway. Is this a successful operation?" He continued to criticize, "The Cheonghae Unit soldiers devoted themselves and fought hard, which was commendable, but is it appropriate for the commanders to report to the public here that it was a successful operation?"

Shin Won-sik, also from the same party, criticized, "The manual clearly states how to conduct emergency evacuation when infectious diseases occur during mission execution, but nothing was done," and questioned, "How can this be called a success?" He added, "This incident is not only a record in our country's military history but also in the history of naval warfare worldwide."

When Lee Chae-ik of the People Power Party called for Seo's resignation, Seo replied, "I feel a grave sense of responsibility," and added, "It seems the related matters will be reviewed by higher authorities." Earlier in the meeting, Seo had said, "In hindsight, there were some shortcomings," and "It was not for lack of effort; efforts were made, but I think they were somewhat insufficient."

Separately, Navy Chief of Staff Bu Seok-jong bowed his head and apologized, saying, "I deeply regret not being able to carefully oversee the soldiers carrying out their missions at overseas deployment sites, and I apologize to their families and the public for causing concern."