An Assistant Vice Minister position will be newly established within the Ministry of National Defense to oversee all areas related to the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), which had previously been dispersed across various departments and bureaus. In addition, the position of Military Advisor, which was previously held by an active-duty general, will be renamed as Defense Advisor and will now be filled by a senior civil servant.
On December 30, the Ministry of National Defense announced that a revision to the “Organization of the Ministry of National Defense and Its Affiliated Agencies,” which includes major organizational restructuring, was approved at a Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The revised regulations will take effect on January 2 of the following year, and the Ministry will transition to the new organizational structure on the same day.
This restructuring aims to effectively respond to advancements in cutting-edge science and technology, including AI, by strengthening the dedicated AI organization within the Ministry of National Defense and systematically reorganizing AI-related functions that are currently scattered across various departments and bureaus.
Specifically, the existing Resource Management Office will be abolished, and an Assistant Vice Minister will be appointed to oversee key areas requiring AI adoption, such as force development, logistics, and informatization. Furthermore, the Office of Advanced Force Planning will be expanded and reorganized into the Defense Artificial Intelligence Planning Bureau, and a new Defense Artificial Intelligence Policy Division will be established. As a result, the Assistant Vice Minister will oversee four bureaus: the Defense Artificial Intelligence Planning Bureau, the Force Policy Bureau, the Defense Informatization Bureau, and the Logistics Management Bureau. The Ministry stated, “The Defense Artificial Intelligence Planning Bureau will serve as the bureau responsible for establishing AI policy in the defense sector and overseeing data collection and utilization.”
Additionally, to expand the civilian foundation, the Ministry of National Defense has decided to appoint a senior civil servant to the position of Defense Advisor, which was previously held by an active-duty general, and to change the title accordingly. The Ministry explained that this change is intended to clarify the mission of supporting both military command and military administration, including military affairs.
Moreover, to strengthen the linkage between long-term military structure and defense operations reform and the mid- and short-term unit and financial plans necessary for implementation, the independent Defense Innovation Planning Office will be reorganized as the Defense Reform Planning Office under the Planning and Coordination Office, in order to enhance the substance of defense reform and reinforce its momentum.
The Ministry of National Defense stated, “We will accelerate the transition to a military force based on AI-powered advanced science and technology, while also leading and supporting South Korea’s leap to become one of the world’s top three AI powers in the defense sector.”
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