Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop Inaugurated: "We Will Strengthen the Three-Axis System"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Lee Jong-seop, the newly appointed Minister of National Defense, stated, "If North Korea carries out tactical provocations, we will respond firmly within the scope of self-defense."

At the inauguration ceremony held at the Ministry of National Defense building on the same day, Minister Lee emphasized, "We will establish a robust defense posture capable of actively responding to all-around security threats."

Among the five key focus areas of defense operations, Minister Lee prioritized establishing a strong defense posture above all.

He urged, "To achieve this, the military's morale must be raised through rigorous training, and we must always be prepared to fight and win," adding, "We will drastically enhance the capabilities of the Korean-style 3-axis system to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats."

Some expect that large-scale ROK-US combined exercises may resume from the second half of the year to facilitate the transfer of wartime operational control. In his written response during the confirmation hearing, Minister Lee said, "We must eventually take over wartime operational control, and it should be as soon as possible," and added, "I believe we need to meet the conditions to bring it as early as possible."

Our military has conducted the ROK-US combined Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises annually in March-April, the Korean military's solo Taeguk exercise in June, the ROK-US combined Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) in August, and the Korean military's solo live-fire defense exercises in November to prepare for a full-scale war on the Korean Peninsula. However, all these exercises were canceled in 2019.

Minister Lee also stated that through 'Defense Innovation 4.0,' they will build a science and technology-strong military optimized for the changing security environment, strengthen the ROK-US military alliance, and expand mutually beneficial defense cooperation with allied countries. Furthermore, he said, "We aim to develop the defense industry into a cutting-edge strategic industry leading our economic growth," and added, "We will enhance the competitiveness of the defense industry and expand exports to further elevate the brand value of 'Republic of Korea.'"

Creating a defense culture where sacrifices for the nation are respected and honored, while aligning with future generations, was also presented as a key focus of defense operations.

Minister Lee urged, "Our military must not be swayed by political ideologies or external interests but must faithfully fulfill its fundamental role under the premise of national security."

After the inauguration ceremony, Minister Lee is scheduled to preside over a video conference meeting with key military officials. It is known that the meeting will include reports on North Korea's preparations for nuclear tests and discussions on response measures. Attendees will include Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Won In-chul, Army Chief of Staff Nam Young-shin, Navy Chief of Naval Operations Kim Jung-soo, Air Force Chief of Staff Park In-ho, Army Ground Operations Commander Ahn Joon-seok, Army 2nd Operations Command Commander Kim Jung-soo, Marine Corps Commanding General Kim Tae-sung, Navy Operations Command Commander Kang Dong-hoon, and Air Force Operations Command Commander Choi Sung-chun.

The military authorities assess that North Korea is highly likely to conduct its 7th nuclear test around the ROK-US summit scheduled for the 21st. The ROK Air Force deployed the E-737 Peace Eye airborne early warning aircraft, and the US Air Force flew the RV-135V Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft over the Korean Peninsula to monitor key areas within North Korea. Additionally, since the 8th of this month, the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff have been operating a 'Nuclear Response Task Force (TF)' involving key personnel.

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