Support for Espionage Act Revision and Strengthening Political Neutrality of the Military
Providing Opportunities for Women to Join the Military through Introduction of the Women's Voluntary Military Service System
On May 25, the People Power Party pledged to introduce a military service bonus point system for both men and women, and to improve the treatment of junior officers and the service environment for military personnel. The party also announced plans to enact a National Cybersecurity Act (tentative name) to train 10,000 white-hat hackers in preparation for cyber warfare.
The Policy Headquarters of the People Power Party stated on this day, "The security environment facing the Republic of Korea is more complex and serious than ever, making a practical and sustainable shift in defense policy urgently necessary," as it unveiled its defense, security, and veterans affairs policies.
First, the party pledged to improve the military through robust support for personnel. To this end, it will enhance the treatment of junior officers to the level of mid-sized companies, and significantly increase budgets for duty allowances, training meal expenses, housing improvement allowances, and moving expenses. The party also plans to expand the Tomorrow Preparation Savings program to junior officers and to help non-commissioned officers advance to officer positions by improving the officer selection system.
Regarding the improvement of the service environment for military personnel, the party promised to renovate barracks, increase meal allowances, implement state responsibility for accidents occurring during military service, and improve the educational environment for children of soldiers and civilian employees by designating additional autonomous public high schools in areas with high concentrations of military personnel.
In particular, the party will introduce the military service bonus point system regardless of gender, institutionalize the professional soldier system, and implement the Women's Voluntary Military Service System (Women's Professional Military System) to expand opportunities for women to enter the military. The party also pledged to cultivate military safety specialists, establish a systematic and efficient safety accident management system, and create a safe and healthy military through innovation of the military medical system.
To strengthen national defense and security, the party outlined plans to prepare for cyber warfare, establish a high-tech scientific military based on advanced technology research and development (R&D), and strengthen the defense industry ecosystem to become one of the world's top four defense exporters. The People Power Party stated, "We will significantly enhance our cyber warfare capabilities by training 10,000 white-hat hackers," and added, "We will establish a permanent system to thoroughly investigate and respond to the sources and intentions behind cyber threats, such as the SK Telecom incident." The party further explained, "We will enact the National Cybersecurity Act to establish a nationwide cybersecurity control tower."
The party also emphasized ensuring the political neutrality of the military through civilian control and strengthening security posture by revising the Espionage Act. To achieve this, it will implement rotational assignments for managerial positions within intelligence agencies, place and operate compliance officers within agencies to prevent closed operations, and strengthen democratic control over intelligence agencies to restore public trust. Additionally, acts of technological espionage will be explicitly defined as espionage, and a dedicated organization will be established to protect core national technologies.
The party's plan also includes providing the highest level of honors to national merit recipients and uniformed personnel, implementing a customized income security system for merit recipients, and improving the designated veterans hospital system to ensure proper respect for national merit recipients.
Furthermore, to address the era of chronic troop shortages, the party will restructure the military, establish and operate specialized units for general outpost (GOP) security, professionalize standing forces, rationally improve reserve force operations, consider transferring coastal security responsibilities, and introduce a private military company (PMC) system for non-combat outsourcing.
To actively defend maritime sovereignty, the party pledged to establish a Presidential National Maritime Committee, actively respond to maritime surveys and the installation of structures by neighboring countries such as China in disputed waters, designate shipping and shipbuilding as state-led strategic industries, and promote the establishment of a maritime security strategy.
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