[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] The Issue is the Transfer of Cheong and Military Communication Systems

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is holding a press conference on the relocation of the Blue House presidential office to the Yongsan Ministry of National Defense building at the press conference room of the Presidential Transition Committee set up in the annex of the Korea Financial Training Institute in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 20th. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] As President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol declared the 'Yongsan Era,' attention is focusing on the relocation of the command and communication systems held by the Blue House and the military. Domestic telecommunications companies have no prior experience with such relocation tasks, raising concerns.

A government official said on the 22nd, "The Ministry of National Defense raised the Cyber Protection Condition (CPCON) from level 4 'Interest' to level 3 'Caution' the day before, reflecting growing concerns inside and outside the military about the relocation of the presidential office."

For the Ministry of National Defense to move to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) building, the C4I system located in the Ministry's underground bunker must be transferred to the JCS. The C4I system is an ICT-based 'Tactical Command Automation System,' a digital wartime status board. It is called 'C4I' from Command, Control, Communication, and Computer ('C4'), plus Intelligence ('I').

When the Ministry of National Defense initially built the C4I system, it took more than two years. Even if relocation occurs, equipment belonging to the United States Forces Korea (USFK) must also be moved, requiring approval from the U.S. side. The U.S. may also demand relocation costs. This is why 11 former JCS Chiefs, including retired General Kim Jong-hwan (Army), who served as the 15th JCS Chairman, issued a statement titled "Concerns over Security Gaps from Moving the Blue House Presidential Office to the Ministry of National Defense."

Even domestic companies have no experience relocating a large-scale 'C4I system.' When the U.S. military moved the Yongsan Garrison to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, they used their own contractors for the relocation.

An industry insider said, "Even when moving servers for a regular bank, several simulations are conducted before the move, so it is hard to understand simply relocating military command and communication systems."

Even if the Ministry of National Defense's C4I system is relocated, the question remains how to transfer the Blue House system to the Ministry. For President-elect Yoon to start work at the new Ministry of National Defense building, the National Disaster and Safety Communication Network installed at the Blue House National Crisis Center must be moved to the new Ministry building. However, relocating it before the inauguration is practically impossible.

The National Disaster and Safety Communication Network, introduced by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, connects over 2,300 terminals linking the Korea Coast Guard, Fire Agency, National Police Agency, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and others. Because of this, there are predictions that the start of President-elect Yoon's work may be delayed.

A military official said, "The Republic of Korea and the United States have conducted combined operations through the C4I system for over 20 years, and even a small mistake during the relocation process could result in mission failure."