Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Monday that fundamental reform of the military academies is urgent, declaring that "the expertise of each service — Army, Navy, and Air Force — must absolutely be preserved. But that expertise must not become a 'silo.'"
Ahn made the remarks in his opening address at a meeting of major military commanders held in the main conference room of the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan, saying that "jointness" must become second nature.
He also posed a question to the commanders, telling them to "ask yourselves," and asking, "How much time does each service allocate for joint training over the course of a year? And on a per-person basis, how much time is that?"
His remarks are interpreted as a strong rebuttal to concerns raised in some quarters that the ministry's push to integrate the military academies could undermine the expertise of each service.
Ahn also expressed concern that "if we miss this 'golden time,' that gap will translate directly into a loss of national interest, and could further become a matter of national survival."
For a second consecutive day, following a command letter sent to the entire military the previous day, he reiterated that "it is evidence that the current military academies fail to give talented individuals the conviction that they can realize their vision and potential."
Regarding wartime operational control (OPCON), he stressed the justification for the OPCON transfer, saying, "A military that cannot make its own decisions cannot become a strong military."
On the reorganization of counterintelligence and intelligence agencies such as the Defense Counterintelligence Command, he emphasized that "we must fundamentally abolish missions that lack a clear legal basis or carry the potential for illegality, and completely restructure the organization around functions."
Ahn said, "We have reached the point of rounding the halfway mark of the year," and called for "overcoming any difficulties whatsoever and completing the reform with one heart and one mind."
