DistantNews
Support us
🇰🇷 South Korea /Conflict & Security

President Lee warns against lax military discipline, calls for self-reliant defense

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • South Korean President Lee Jae-myung emphasized the importance of self-reliant defense and maintaining military discipline.
  • He criticized recent incidents of lax security, including sentry duty without live ammunition, likening it to a historical tale of depleted armories.
  • The president stressed that national defense requires consistent vigilance and investment, warning against complacency despite significant defense spending.

President Lee Jae-myung underscored the critical need for self-reliant defense and robust military discipline, warning against complacency in national security. During a joint policy briefing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Unification, Ministry of National Defense, and Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Lee stated, "Independent defense, protected by our own strength without any external help, is our most important task."

Independent defense, protected by our own strength without any external help, is our most important task.

— President Lee Jae-myungEmphasizing the importance of self-reliant defense during a policy briefing.

Lee also addressed the issue of military command authority, asserting, "Naturally, we must exercise military command authority, which is part of our sovereignty." He criticized the current situation where the military does not directly receive orders from the Minister of National Defense, who is under the President's command, calling it an unacceptable anomaly that needs normalization. This statement is interpreted as a move towards reclaiming wartime operational control.

Naturally, we must exercise military command authority, which is part of our sovereignty.

— President Lee Jae-myungDiscussing the need for the military to operate under the President's direct command.

The president specifically called out recent lapses in military discipline, referencing the controversy surrounding sentry duty performed without live ammunition. He recounted a historical anecdote about arrows in an armory: initially made of mulberry wood, they were replaced with bamboo, then reeds, due to cost-saving measures. When war finally broke out, the armory was empty. "The tendency to move from mulberry to bamboo, and then to reeds, is part of that," Lee remarked, drawing a parallel to current security issues.

The tendency to move from mulberry to bamboo, and then to reeds, is part of that.

— President Lee Jae-myungUsing a historical anecdote to illustrate the dangers of compromising military standards.

Lee pointed to the recent incident at the 1st Corps, responsible for the western front, where sentries were reportedly on duty without live ammunition. He suggested that the rationale might be a fear of accidental discharge during loading, leading to a belief that ammunition can be quickly loaded when needed. "This might be correct in everyday life, but not in national defense," he stated, emphasizing the immense annual defense budget of 66 trillion won. "To think 'War is unlikely, so why spend this money?' is nonsensical," Lee concluded, urging against any erosion of military discipline, which could lead to a state of unpreparedness.

This might be correct in everyday life, but not in national defense.

— President Lee Jae-myungWarning against applying everyday cost-saving logic to military preparedness.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog