[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Will the Ministry of National Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff Also Relocate?

Minister of National Defense Seo Wook (right) and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin are preparing for the 53rd Expanded Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) held on the morning of the 2nd at the Ministry of National Defense's main conference room in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] As plans are underway to establish President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol's presidential office in the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, the issue of relocating the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff has come to the forefront.

On the 16th, a government official stated, "If the presidential office moves to the Yongsan Ministry of National Defense building, additional security and protection issues are expected to be resolved, making it the most likely option," adding, "It can also highlight a strong security image by working together with the military."

If the presidential office relocates to the Ministry of National Defense building, the Ministry must vacate the entire new building. However, there is limited space within the building for the Ministry's personnel to relocate. This is why opinions suggest that the Ministry of National Defense may have no choice but to move to the Gyeryong headquarters or Gwacheon. However, if the Ministry moves to the Gwacheon building, security issues may arise. Currently, the Ministry of National Defense controls access through military police. But if it moves to Gwacheon, it would be difficult for the military police to control even civil servants from other ministries.

Inside and outside the military, there is also an opinion that it would be reasonable for the Ministry of National Defense to move to Gyeryongdae in Chungnam, where the headquarters of the three military branches are located. The Army, Navy, and Air Force headquarters already relocated to Gyeryongdae 32 years ago and have established their bases there. If the Ministry of National Defense moves to Gyeryongdae, it is widely agreed that it would be suitable to serve as a military administrative institution supporting the three military headquarters.

The problem lies with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The area most frequently mentioned as a possible relocation site for the Joint Chiefs is Namtaeryeong, where the Capital Defense Command is located. Namtaeryeong houses a bunker where the president and key ministry officials command war in emergencies. When the DEFCON (defense readiness condition) level rises in preparation for war, the Capital Defense Command B1 bunker becomes the war command center.

In particular, the Namtaeryeong Capital Defense Command B1 bunker is capable of defending against electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attacks using nuclear weapons. EMP refers to a weapon that can minimize human casualties while disabling the electrical and electronic devices of enemy weapons.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.