[Defense Column] To the Generals Advancing into the Presidential Campaign

As the presidential election in June is finalized, each party is busy organizing their election campaigns. There are people even busier than politicians: retired generals. On the 6th, about 90 retired officers, including retired generals supporting the Democratic Party of Korea, gathered at a restaurant in Yeouido, Seoul, each stepping forward to declare their support for Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea.

The reason retired officers gather every presidential election is simple: for a so-called "position." After the election, retired officers who were part of the campaign have secured military-related posts. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, the Military Manpower Administration, and affiliated agencies under the Ministry of National Defense are typical examples. They also aim for leadership roles in various academic organizations and associations. Even ambassadorial posts are taken. Under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, Kim Pan-gyu, former Vice Chief of Naval Staff (retired lieutenant general), who was appointed ambassador to Nigeria, served as vice chairman of the Yoon Suk-yeol presidential campaign’s “Future Defense Innovation 4.0 Special Committee.” Others include Ryu Je-seung, ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (former director of Defense Policy at the Ministry of National Defense), Lee Wang-geun, ambassador to Colombia (former Air Force Chief of Staff), Choi Byung-hyuk, ambassador to Saudi Arabia (former deputy commander of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command), Shin Man-taek, ambassador to East Timor (former commandant of the Army Noncommissioned Officer Academy), Lee Seo-young, consul general in Honolulu (former defense attach? to the U.S.), and Kim Jin-hyung, ambassador to Fiji (former commander of the Navy Logistics Command), among others.

Government agencies related to defense industry are no different. Seok Jong-geon (45th class of Korea Military Academy) holds the post of Administrator of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, Lee Geon-wan (32nd class of Korea Air Force Academy) is director of the Agency for Defense Development, and Shin Sang-beom, retired army major general (41st class of Korea Military Academy), is head of the Defense Technology Quality Institute. Although some have backgrounds unrelated to defense industry, their ties to the presidential election or presidential committees have led to evaluations of these appointments as political favors. Parachute appointments are also rampant in corporations. Kang Gu-young, president of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), is a representative case. Kang is a 30th class graduate of the Korea Air Force Academy. Upon taking office, he carried out a sweeping executive reshuffle. Within three months, about 20 executives were sent home. The vacancies were filled with Air Force veterans and figures from organizations he had been involved with.

What the presidential campaign needs is not just people who "know how to line up well," but those with ability. There are many tasks ahead. Measures must be prepared for the soldier salary increases and shortened service periods created by populism. Due to election pledges or policies, the current military service periods are 18 months for the Army and Marines, 20 months for the Navy, and 21 months for the Air Force. The Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA) analyzed the period required for infantry soldiers to demonstrate proficiency and concluded that at least 16 months is necessary. This inevitably leads to a shortage of highly skilled soldiers. Meanwhile, due to the Ukraine war, Latvia, which borders Russia, has reinstated conscription, and Friedrich Merz, the next German chancellor, is considering the conscription card.

The sense of deprivation among military officers caused by the soldier salary increase must also be addressed. The monthly salary for second lieutenants and sergeants at level 1 in 2025 will be 1.84 million won and 1.79 million won, respectively. Including allowances, they receive about 2.5 million won, but after taxes, there is little difference from soldier salaries. This is why the recruitment rate for military officers is declining. Pension experts are also needed. The revised National Pension Act passed the National Assembly in March this year. There is no mention of military pensions. According to the 2024 national accounts, pension liabilities for civil servant and military pensions increased by 83 trillion won, from 1,230 trillion won to 1,313 trillion won. Experts must be brought in to prepare various measures such as raising insurance premiums and introducing a pension peak system.

To the retired officers lining up at the presidential campaign, I want to ask: Can you confidently claim to be experts in national defense and defense industry in front of the people still suffering from the aftermath of the December 3 martial law troops?