Section 1
Section 1. National Defense Reform to Build Advanced Elite Military Forces
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1. Military Executive Agency A system in which military personnel or civilians are appointed to take charge of an autonomous organization dealing with the military’s organization, personnel affairs and financial matters and who is then held accountable for the performance of the organization.
Thus, management efficiency and the promotion of service quality are ensured.
- Organizations implementing the system: Armed Forces Capital Hospital, Printing Depot, Army 2 Logistics Unit, Navy Supply Depot and Air Force Supply Depot 40.
2. Incorporation of military units with similar functions
Military units with similar or overlapping functions in each branch of military service are combined to enhance efficiency in terms of manpower and budget.
Building a sophisticated defense mechanism and improving the service environment require an enormous budget. However, the reality of limited defense resources calls for prudent spending and innovative operations. As a result, the MND announced the National Defense Reform Basic Plan (2006-2020), which is composed of four reform areas for further implementation: expanding civilian involvement in national defense, establishing a force structure and defense system suitable for future warfare, building a low cost, high efficiency defense management system and improving the military barracks environment to suit the changing times.
After mapping out the National Defense Reform Basic Plan, the MND drew up the National Defense Reform Act in December 2006, the Enforcement Decree of the National Defense Reform Act in March 2007 and the Defense Reform Initiative Directive in January ,WDOVRHVWDEOLVKHGWKH1DWLRQDO'HIHQVH5HIRUP2I¿FHXQGHUGLUHFWFRQWURORIWKH National Defense Minister in July 2007, to take charge of national defense reform.
7KHPDMRUDFKLHYHPHQWVIURPWKH¿UVWSKDVHRIGHIHQVHUHIRUPZKLFKVSDQQHGWKHIRXU years between 2006 and 2010, are as follows: In terms of military structure, the number of WURRSVKDVEHHQFXWE\DERXW7KH¿UVWSKDVHRIRUJDQL]DWLRQDOUHIRUPRIWKH-RLQW Chiefs of Staff has been conducted and 11 troop units have been disbanded to establish a WKHDWHURSHUDWLRQVFRPPDQGV\VWHP,QWHUPVRIGHIHQVHPDQDJHPHQW¿YHRUJDQL]DWLRQV including the Printing Depot, have been designated as Military Executive Agencies.1 Military units with similar functions,2VXFKDVWKH:HOIDUH$JHQF\)DFLOLWLHV2UJDQL]DWLRQ Accounting Group and Printing Depot have been incorporated into one streamlined unit.
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1,600 and the budget by about 46 billion Korean won. Encouraged by such achievements, the Military Executive Agency scheme will be gradually expanded.
The MND has regularly been amending and complementing the National Defense Basic Plan according to the National Defense Reform Act.3 The plan was amended for WKH¿UVWWLPHVLQFHWKHLQDXJXUDWLRQRIWKHFXUUHQWJRYHUQPHQWLQ-XQH,QWHUPVRI military structure, the MND not only changed the defense system to better counter military threats, including the launch of long-range rockets by North Korea and the implications of LWVVHFRQGQXFOHDUWHVWEXWDOVRPRGL¿HGWKH52.86FRPELQHGGHIHQVHV\VWHPLQWKH aftermath of wartime OPCON transition. In terms of defense management reform, the plan KDVEHHQDOWHUHGWRPDWFKWKHQHZVHFXULW\HQYLURQPHQWDQGWKHQDWLRQ¶V¿VFDOFDSDFLW\E\
3. Article 5, The National Defense Reform Act The The Minister of National Defense modifies the National Defense Basic Plan based on an assessment of the defense situation at home and abroad and the results of national defense reform efforts every two and a half years.
taking into account new initiatives, including the expanded use of civil resources.
In 2010, the MND strived to supplement the National Defense Reform Basic Plan, one WKDWERWKFLYLOLDQVDQGWKHPLOLWDU\FDQFRQVHQWE\DQDO\]LQJWKHSUREOHPVLQLPSOHPHQWLQJ the Plan. The new Plan is aimed at building defense capabilities that can offset the present DQGSRWHQWLDOWKUHDWVIURP1RUWK.RUHDDQGLPSURYHWKHHI¿FLHQF\DQGHFRQRP\RIWKH nation’s defense readiness. The MND is committed to making such a plan feasible.
2. National Defense Reform Basic Plan 2009-2020
| Military structure reform |
Reforming the structure of the military is intended to build the military suitable to proactively cope with the security environment on the 3HQLQVXODDQGHI¿FLHQWO\FRQGXFWIXWXUHZDUIDUH7KHUHIRUPKDVEHHQFRQGXFWHGLQIRXU areas: command structure, unit structure, troop structure, and force structure.&RPPDQGVWUXFWXUHUHIRUPLVWRHVWDEOLVKDQHI¿FLHQWPLOLWDU\FRPPDQGV\VWHPWKDW allows ROK forces to take the initiative in war planning, preparing for theater operations after wartime OPCON transition, and to establish a new combined defense system by VHWWLQJXSDPLOLWDU\FRRSHUDWLYHRUJDQL]DWLRQIRU52.86FRPELQHGRSHUDWLRQV
8QLWVWUXFWXUHUHIRUPUHGXFHVWKHQXPEHURIXQLWVDQGVWUHDPOLQHVWKHPLGWLHU command elements, in view of the future operational environment, so that operations can be conducted in a prompt manner. The reform will foster completeness and improve the FDSDELOLWLHVRIWKHFRPEDWWURRSRUJDQL]DWLRQVZLWKDUHGXFHGQXPEHURIWURRSV
Troop structure reform allows for a shift to a technology-intensive structure supported mainly by officers and NCOs since securing skilled soldiers has become problematic after the decision to reduce soldier’s service terms. Combat forces will be mostly composed of active duty personnel whereas non-combatant functions will increasingly replaced by civilian resources.
7KHVL]HRIDVWDQGLQJIRUFHZLOOEHJUDGXDOO\DGMXVWHGLQFRQVLGHUDWLRQRIWKHFDSDELOLWLHVRIWKH existing weapons and equipment. Reserve forces will be streamlined by improving its training V\VWHPDQGEHSRVWXUHGWRPRELOL]HLPPHGLDWHO\LQRUGHUWRPDLQWDLQFRPEDWUHDGLQHVV
Force structure reform seeks to secure the optimum forces by equipping the ROK army WRFRSHZLWKIXWXUHWKUHDWVDVZHOODVWKRVHRIWKHSUHVHQWVXFKDVLQ¿OWUDWLRQDQGORFDO provocations by the North. Force structure reform is focused on reinforcing jointness and
Section 1. National Defense Reform to Build Advanced Elite Military Forces
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| Defense management reform |
Defense management reform will shift DOORIWKHGHIHQVHPDQDJHPHQWDUHDVLQFOXGLQJRUJDQL]DWLRQSHUVRQQHODQGEXGJHWWRD pragmatic and advanced defense operational system that will be operated at lower cost DQGKLJKHUHI¿FLHQF\7KHUHIRUPZLOOIRFXVRQRSWLPL]LQJGHIHQVHUHVRXUFHVHQKDQFLQJ GHIHQVHHI¿FLHQF\HVWDEOLVKLQJDFXVWRPL]HGSHUVRQQHOPDQDJHPHQWV\VWHPWRWUDLQDQG secure the necessary personnel, improving the barracks environment and welfare, pursuing GHIHQVHLQIRUPDWL]DWLRQDQGHVWDEOLVKLQJD¿UPIRXQGDWLRQIRUGHIHQVHVFLHQFHWHFKQRORJ\and capabilities. The directions being taken by defense management reform are as follows:
First, the reform will establish an efficient management and maintenance system for HTXLSPHQWE\LPSURYLQJWKHORJLVWLFVDQGWUDQVSRUWDWLRQV\VWHPVDQGXWLOL]LQJFLYLOLDQ resources. Advanced private management techniques will be introduced to the defense management and military executive agency systems in which a consigned management V\VWHPZLOOEHDFWLYHO\LPSOHPHQWHG8QLWVZLWKVLPLODURURYHUODSSLQJIXQFWLRQVLQHDFK Service will be consolidated and streamlined. Excessive and superfluous troops will be merged into the combat contingent. Military units across the nation will be relocated to increase efficiency. Efforts will be made to increase the economic value of the land for military use.
Second, the MND will improve the recruitment system to ensure expert personnel DUHVHFXUHGDQGHVWDEOLVKDFXVWRPL]HGSHUVRQQHOH[SHUWLVHUHVRXUFHVV\VWHP,WZLOO also reinforce education on jointness in the curriculum of Service colleges, improve the standard of education in the Joint Staff College and rebuild the mental strength education system.
Third, the MND will continue to furnish barracks with beds and improve the welfare system for service personnel in line with the development of the nation. A productive military service for service members will be fostered by providing them with opportunities for self-development by obtaining academic credits and vocational credentials. It will also develop a military medical service system providing quality medical care both in war and SHDFHWLPHV,WZLOOSD\KHHGWRLPSURYLQJWKHZHOIDUHEHQH¿WVIRUIDPLO\PHPEHUVRI service members as well.
)RXUWKWKH01'ZLOOHVWDEOLVKDQDGYDQFHGGHIHQVHLQIRUPDWL]DWLRQHQYLURQPHQW in preparation for future warfare based on the defense architecture.4 The Ministry will expand the joint participation of academic, industrial and research institutes to independently develop cutting-edge weapons system and the core technology necessary to strengthen the defense industry.
4. Defense architecture Defense architecture is the
comprehensive informatization design that presents the vision and goals of national defense based on the scientific, structural and integrated analysis of the nation’s defensive capabilities. The defense architecture is to be used as a tool for identifying the priorities in informatization, preventing overlapping investment and guaranteeing mutual operation.
Military Structure Reform,1 part of the Defense Reform Basic Plan, is a prerequisite for establishing an elite (slim but strong) military. The ROK military will be shifted towards becoming a technology-intensive organization in preparation for various and complex security threats. In terms of command structure, the MND will fortify the function of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to establish the ideal theater operations execution system for the new combined defensive system that has been established in preparation for wartime OPCON transition. In terms of troop structure, the MND will reinforce the troops by reinforcing THEOFÜCERSCAPABLEOFMANAGINGSTATEOFTHEARTMILITARYCOMBATEQUIPMENTEFÜCIENTLY4ROOPSIZEWILLBE curtailed gradually in line with the yearly Military Structure Reform Plan. Unit structure will be optimized INTERMSOFTHEBATTLEÜELDENVIRONMENTANDTHEMISSIONANDROLEOFEACH3ERVICE