Ministry of National Defense Launches "Advisory Committee for Overcoming Insurrection and Designing Future Defense"... Policy Proposals to Be Developed by Year-End

Hong Hyun-ik, Former President of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, Appointed as Chair
Committee Launched under Five Subcommittees at the Direction of Shin Kyubaek

A joint civilian-military advisory body directly under the Minister of National Defense, tasked with overcoming the December 3 Martial Law and formulating future defense policies, has been officially launched. By the end of the year, the advisory body plans to develop policy proposals covering everything from future strategies to measures addressing deaths within the military, and submit them to the Minister.

On the morning of September 30, the Ministry of National Defense announced that it held the inaugural meeting of the "Special Civilian-Military Joint Advisory Committee for Overcoming Insurrection and Designing Future Defense" at the Ministry’s headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. This advisory committee, established under the direct supervision of Minister Shin Kyubaek, was launched at his direction.

The advisory committee is divided into five subcommittees: ▲Future Strategy ▲Establishing Constitutional Values ▲Measures for Deaths within the Military ▲Redesigning Military Counterintelligence and Security ▲Reform of Military Academies. Each subcommittee will focus on its respective area, and policy proposals will be developed and submitted to the Minister by the end of the year.

First, the Future Strategy subcommittee will discuss the design of a future defense vision that considers rapidly changing security environments, including military strategy, force structure, and the modernization of the South Korea-U.S. alliance. The Establishing Constitutional Values subcommittee will review ways to incorporate the principles of political neutrality and civilian control into the Constitution and defense-related laws (such as the Martial Law Act), and consider measures to dramatically strengthen constitutional and democratic education for all service members.

In addition, the Redesigning Military Counterintelligence and Security subcommittee will develop a concrete roadmap for disbanding the Defense Security Command and creating specialized counterintelligence and intelligence agencies within the military. The Measures for Deaths within the Military subcommittee will comprehensively analyze the causes of incidents and propose tailored solutions for each area, such as firearm management and suicide prevention. The Military Academy Education Reform subcommittee will study ways to enhance jointness and dramatically improve the quality of education, including integrating schools, revising curricula, and expanding civilian faculty.

The advisory committee is chaired by Hong Hyun-ik, former President of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy and former Chair of the Foreign Affairs and Security Subcommittee of the National Policy Planning Committee. The Future Strategy subcommittee is led by Kim Jungsub, Senior Research Fellow at the Sejong Institute; the Establishing Constitutional Values subcommittee by Kim Jongcheol, Professor at Yonsei University Law School; the Measures for Deaths within the Military subcommittee by Park Chanun, Professor at Hanyang University Law School; the Military Academy Reform subcommittee by Choi Youngjin, Professor at Chung-Ang University’s Department of Political Science and International Studies; and the Redesigning Counterintelligence and Security subcommittee by Chairman Hong himself.

The Ministry of National Defense stated, "By operating a civilian-led advisory body directly under the Minister, we will ensure that the perspective of the people is reflected in the national defense policy agenda of the government, which is based on national sovereignty."

Meanwhile, the opposition has raised concerns that it is inappropriate to use the term "insurrection" in the advisory committee's name, given that trials related to the December 3 Martial Law are still ongoing.

In response, the Ministry of National Defense stated, "As all citizens witnessed, special forces and other military units were mobilized to paralyze the functions of the National Assembly, attempt to seize the National Election Commission, and arrest politicians," adding, "As a result of these charges, numerous high-ranking officers, including former military commanders and ministers, have been detained. The committee's name reflects the determination that the military must overcome this situation swiftly and move forward into the future."