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South Korean President Moon Jae-in gives his remark after being briefed on the Ministry of National Defense (MND)’s working plan for 2019 on Dec. 20. Moon has asked the MND for a more thorough and detailed “plan B” in alignment with changes in the security situation of the Korean Peninsula. (Blue House photo pool)
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Moon gave orders for contingency plan to be further developed
On Dec. 20, South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo spoke of the need to develop a “plan B” for the country’s defense reform plan in line with changes in the security environment, including the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of a peace regime. During a meeting with reporters after briefing South Korean President Moon Jae-in on the Ministry of National Defense (MND)’s working plan for 2019, Jeong said, “The president said we should develop an elaborate supplementary plan for boosting our military strength so that we can respond with flexibility to future changes in the security situation on the Korean Peninsula.” It’s presumed that Moon was briefed by the MND on deliberations for a “plan B” and was giving instructions for that plan to be further developed. “He was not telling us to adjust our plans right away but rather that we need to prepare for the ideal course of action under the assumption that change will come to the security environment. We’re researching those ideas ourselves,” Jeong said. This confirms a report in the Dec. 10 issue of the Hankyoreh that the MND is preparing a contingency plan for changes in the security situation on the Korean Peninsula. “The peace on the Korean Peninsula is still tentative. Next year, we need to establish a permanent peace that will not be shaken,” Moon said on Thursday. After his briefing from Jeong, Moon visited the MND’s North Korean Policy Division, which was in charge of drafting and implementing the Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA) concluded on Sept. 19, and asked the team to make it possible for ordinary people to freely visit the Joint Security Area (JSA) at Panmunjom once preparations were complete and to create a “path of peace” in the area that would resemble the famous Camino de Santiago network of pilgrim roads in Spain. The MND announced in its briefing on Thursday that it would be launching an inter-Korean joint military committee in the first half of 2019 and that it would be building a system that would enable South and North Korea to constantly discuss urgent military matters by installing direct telephone lines between the top commanders of both militaries. In August, South Korea and the US are planning to jointly assess South Korea’s initial operational capacity in order to accelerate the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON). South Korea and the US agreed to hold two joint command post exercises next year, one in the first half and one in the second half of the year, as normal, and to hold the “Foal Eagle” joint field mobility exercise throughout the year instead of in April, when it is usually held, with fewer troops and equipment than usual. Strategic bombers and other US strategic assets are not expected to take part in the exercise. By Yoo Kang-moon, senior staff writer, and Seong Yeon-cheol, staff reporter Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
