More than 80% of officers who returned to the Army, Navy, and Air Force following the disbandment of the Defense Security Command under the Moon Jae-in administration have either left the military without being promoted or continue to serve at the rank they held upon their return. Fewer than two in 10 of the returning officers have been promoted.
The Ministry of National Defense said it would ensure that personnel returning to their branches following the disbandment of the Defense Counterintelligence Command would not suffer disadvantages in personnel matters. But concerns are being raised that the same personnel disadvantages will recur this time, as the return period coincides with the personnel reshuffle season and it is difficult to secure normal assignments suited to their specialized security expertise.
According to data on "the promotion status of officers who returned following the disbandment of the Defense Security Command," submitted by the Ministry of National Defense to the office of People Power Party Rep. Kang Sun-young, a member of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, on Tuesday, a total of 186 officers returned to the Army, Navy, and Air Force, of whom only 33 (17.7%) were promoted through normal promotion, excluding fixed-term and honorary promotions.
In the Army, a total of 151 officers returned, of whom only 25 (16.5%) were promoted. Five were promoted from lieutenant colonel to colonel, 19 from major to lieutenant colonel, and one from captain to major. Of the 25 who were promoted, 18 were promoted belatedly under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration rather than the Moon Jae-in administration.
In the Navy, a total of 15 officers returned, of whom four (26.6%) were promoted. Three were promoted from major to lieutenant colonel, and one from captain to major. There were no promotions from lieutenant colonel to colonel. Of the four who were promoted, three, excluding one, were promoted under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.
A total of four Marine Corps officers returned following the disbandment of the Defense Security Command, and none of them were promoted, recording a promotion rate of 0%. This was the lowest across all branches. Of the four, one at the colonel level left the military immediately after returning. Of the three at the lieutenant colonel level, one left the military and only two are currently serving.
In the Air Force, a total of 16 officers returned. Of these, four (25.0%) were promoted. Two were promoted from major to lieutenant colonel, one from captain to major and then to lieutenant colonel, and one from captain to major. Of the four who were promoted, three were promoted under the Moon Jae-in administration. One of the three was also promoted from major to lieutenant colonel under the Lee Jae-myung administration. Under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, only one was promoted.
About 1,000 Counterintelligence Command Personnel to Return to Their Branches
The promotion rate for non-commissioned officers who returned was higher than that of officers. Officer promotions are linked to command assignments, and because the returning officers have no experience commanding frontline units, their promotion rate is inevitably far lower than that of non-commissioned officers.
In the Army, a total of 180 non-commissioned officers returned, of whom 87 (48.3%) were promoted. Fifty-five were promoted from staff sergeant to sergeant first class, 26 from sergeant first class to master sergeant, and the remaining six were appointed and promoted to warrant officer. Of the 87 who were promoted, 63 were promoted under the Moon Jae-in administration, 20 under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, and the remaining four under the Lee Jae-myung administration.
In the Navy, a total of 16 non-commissioned officers returned, of whom five (31.2%) were promoted. Two were promoted from staff sergeant to sergeant first class, and two from sergeant first class to master sergeant. In the Marine Corps, 22 non-commissioned officers returned and seven (31.8%) were promoted, but four left the military and only three (13.6%) are currently serving.
In the Air Force, a total of 26 non-commissioned officers returned. Of these, 13 (50.0%) were promoted, one left the military, and 12 (46.1%) are serving on active duty. One of the 12 was appointed and promoted to warrant officer.
"The Counterintelligence Command, a unit under the direct command of the Ministry of National Defense, is made up of experts who have accumulated long-term expertise in counterintelligence, security, and anti-communist investigation, and because they have no frontline field unit experience, they inevitably face personnel disadvantages," Rep. Kang Sun-young said. "As the members of the Counterintelligence Command were assigned to the command by order of the defense minister, the Ministry of National Defense and each branch need to pay particular attention and care."
Under the plan to disband and restructure the functions of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, about half of its authorized strength of 3,000 will move to the Defense Counterintelligence Headquarters (counterintelligence information and collection), which will serve as the successor organization, while 200 each will be transferred to the Defense Security Support Group (security audits) and the Ministry of National Defense Investigation Headquarters (security investigation).
By contrast, about 1,000 will be cut and returned to their respective branches. A concerning point is that when the Defense Security Command was disbanded in 2018, about 1,300 personnel returned to their branches, and a considerable number struggled with promotions and assignment management, leading them to choose early discharge. This is because those who built their careers specializing in counterintelligence work are less competitive in field units.
An official at the National Assembly's National Defense Committee said, "The fields of counterintelligence, security, and security investigation are specialized areas that are difficult to cultivate in a short period. In this process of disbanding and restructuring the Counterintelligence Command, follow-up measures are needed to minimize the personnel disadvantages of the returning personnel and to make use of their expertise."
