[Editorial] Truth behind specifics of martial law plan of the utmost urgency

Current DSC commander Lee Seok-gu prepares to answer inquiries at a general meeting of the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee on July 20. At the very front is Minister of National Defense Song Young-moo. (Kang Chang-kwang, staff photographer)

The scandal over a martial law document has been growing after a scuffle over the handling of the document between South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo and senior officers in the military’s Defense Security Command (DSC) at the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee. On July 25, a team consisting of prosecutors and Defense Ministry officials launched their investigation into the DSC, and a DSC report containing Song’s remarks was made public.

Given the nearly unprecedented nature of a public clash between the Defense Minister and his subordinates in the DSC, investigators must get to the bottom of this, weighing the relative severity of wrongdoing and holding the guilty parties responsible.

What this ruckus has made clear is how urgent it is to reform the DSC. Generally speaking, the “explosive comments” by the DSC officers don’t address the core of this scandal. They look like deflections – attempts to dodge responsibility for the martial law document. The 100th Defense Security Unit Commander Col. Min Byeong-sam’s remark that Song originally said that the document was fine and DSC Commander Lee Seok-gu’s remark that he had thoroughly briefed Song on the document for 20 minutes don’t get to the heart of this scandal. Such remarks cannot be regarded as unavoidable, conscientious whistle-blowing.

While investigators will have to figure out who is telling the truth, we find ourselves wondering whether the DSC officers’ concerted public remarks are actually motivated by an organizational chauvinism that’s attempting to sabotage reform efforts.

Head of the DSC’s Fifth Department Gi Woo-jin (with the rank of brigadier general), who was reportedly called in for questioning on Wednesday, was the person responsible for writing the “Specifics of the Provisional Plan” martial law document. Given Song’s eagerness to reform the DSC, there are suspicions that some current officers in the DSC are hitting Song at his weak points in an attempt to undermine the reform.

Song too should seriously reflect upon his behavior over these past months. The DSC report submitted to the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee summarizes the gist of Song’s remarks as being that “a garrison degree is fine.” If the report is factual, it has basically caught Song in a lie. Since the ruling and opposition parties have agreed to hold a hearing into this matter, they’ll have to figure who is telling the truth.

The best approach is for Song to honestly open up to the public about how he handled these documents. Along with that, he should also clearly express his viewpoint on reforming the DSC.

The crux of this scandal is that just one year and four months ago, the army was planning and preparing to trample on the constitution in the manner of the military coup carried out on Dec. 12, 1979. This requires a thorough investigation of the facts and punishment of those responsible. That should also be the basis for a top-to-bottom overhaul of the DSC. This process might entail resistance, pushback and sacrifice of various kinds, but we must press forward with our eyes on the greater goal of reforming the military.

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