Cheongwadae Receives Report from Key Military Commanders... "Excluding Nursing Hospitals, Military is the First Case of Herd Immunity"
[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] On the 4th, President Moon Jae-in, during a briefing on defense issues from key military commanders at the Blue House, mentioned the Air Force sexual violence incident and said, "I hope the military will overcome this with determination and renewed spirit, change the atmosphere, and become a trusted military again."
President Moon said, "Our military has maintained peace on the Korean Peninsula without military clashes with North Korea in its primary roles of security and defense, and has also played significant roles during natural disasters and the COVID-19 situation. However, recently, due to several incidents, it has lost the trust of the people and is facing a major crisis."
In particular, President Moon criticized, "The Air Force sexual violence incident was a serious case that shocked the public greatly. Not only was it not prevented in advance, but the subsequent responses such as false reports, concealment, and inadequate reporting were also problematic."
President Moon emphasized, "Although there were existing measures against sexual violence, you must prepare stronger and more thorough countermeasures to fundamentally correct the problem and use this as an opportunity for reform." He added, "The Air Force must undergo a complete transformation and become a 'military among the people' and a 'military trusted by the people.'"
Minister of National Defense Seo Wook reported that the military will strengthen the dedicated organization for sexual violence, prevent secondary harm to victims of sexual crimes, and inspect and improve military correctional facilities.
President Moon also emphasized the Cheonghae Unit incident. He said, "Although the Cheonghae Unit incident caused great concern among the public, since the unit has successfully carried out operational missions for the safety of our citizens and merchant ships on site, the morale of the unit members must not decline."
Minister Seo reported that among the 1,015 soldiers currently deployed overseas, 95% have completed vaccinations, and only vaccinated personnel will be selected for overseas deployment. He also reported plans to introduce new state-of-the-art PCR testing equipment.
Blue House spokesperson Park Kyung-mi explained, "Minister Seo reported that regarding the COVID-19 situation, 93.6% of all 550,000 soldiers have completed the first dose, and the second dose is scheduled to be completed by the 6th."
President Moon said, "Except for nursing hospitals and similar facilities, the military will be the first case of achieving herd immunity, so the general public can refer to the military's case when reaching herd immunity."
President Moon also showed interest in training issues during heatwaves. He urged, "Make sure that the training manual for heatwave preparedness is properly implemented." He instructed, "Even if the temperature allows outdoor training, if it is close to the heatwave threshold, training should be postponed, or for large-scale training, emergency measures should be promptly taken. Also, essential guard duties during heatwaves must be thoroughly reviewed."
After receiving a report on improvements in military culture, President Moon said, "Since the launch of our government, many reforms have been made, such as the full implementation of mobile phone use after work, increases in military pay, improvements in the military medical system, and the abolition of the military detention system. However, please continue to make relentless efforts to improve soldiers' meal systems, cooking conditions, clothing systems, barracks, and dining facilities." He added, "Innovative and bold ideas are needed regarding military judicial system reform."
Meanwhile, Minister Seo reported that new technologies of the 4th Industrial Revolution will be actively introduced into the military, and the military will lead industries such as drones to provide momentum for the development of domestic civilian industries.
President Moon instructed, "The military should enhance its scientific capabilities by utilizing new technologies of the 4th Industrial Revolution era, such as AI, robots, and drones, in defense, and expand cooperation with related ministries such as the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Science and ICT to also strive for new technology development."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
