JCS Faces Mission Overlap Controversy... Establishment of 'Nuclear and WMD Response Headquarters'

Kim Seung-gyeom, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, "Central Role of Our Military"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Military Specialist Yang Nak-gyu] Under the directive of President Yoon Seok-yeol, the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s ‘Nuclear and WMD Response Headquarters’ will be established on the 2nd. The military plans to respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats and eventually develop it into a Strategic Command, but concerns persist that conflicts with the current missions of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and each military branch will inevitably cause confusion in the command and control system.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the inauguration ceremony for the Nuclear and WMD Response Headquarters will be held under the chairmanship of Chairman Kim Seung-gyeom on the day. The Nuclear and WMD Response Headquarters is a newly established department that adds intelligence, operations, power, and combat development functions to the existing Nuclear and WMD Response Center under the Strategic Planning Headquarters of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to dramatically strengthen deterrence and response capabilities and posture against various threats such as North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.

Following the existing Intelligence Headquarters, Operations Headquarters, Strategic Planning Headquarters, and Military Support Headquarters, it will be the fifth headquarters under the Joint Chiefs of Staff, leading the development of Korea’s 3-axis system capabilities and integrating the operation of cyber, electromagnetic spectrum, and space domain capabilities.

The Nuclear and WMD Response Headquarters will serve as the predecessor to the Strategic Command to be established next year, overseeing Korea’s 3-axis system composed of Kill Chain, Korean Air and Missile Defense system (KAMD), and Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR). It is expected to command operations of strategic assets such as Hyunmoo-series ballistic missiles, stealth fighters, and 3,000-ton class submarines.

Chairman Kim Seung-gyeom of the Joint Chiefs of Staff urged, “The Nuclear and WMD Response Headquarters will play a pivotal role in strengthening our military’s capabilities and posture to deter and respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.”

However, some argue that the Joint Chiefs of Staff already has functions to respond to nuclear and WMD threats, pointing out overlapping missions. They say conflicts with the operational control missions currently performed by each military branch are inevitable, as well as confusion in command issues with the combined ROK-US forces commander formed during wartime and peacetime, and the command and control system between the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Strategic Commander.

Meanwhile, President Yoon Seok-yeol officially announced the establishment of the Strategic Command in his speech commemorating Armed Forces Day last year. The Ministry of National Defense reported the plan to establish the Strategic Command at the All-Army Senior Commanders Meeting chaired by President Yoon in July. The plan includes upgrading the current Joint Chiefs of Staff Nuclear and WMD Response Center, which performs related functions, to a headquarters-level command led by a lieutenant general and establishing the Strategic Command in 2024.

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