Editorial: Military Swept by Coup Tsunami, Commanders Clueless?

The Chosun Ilbo · The Chosunilbo ·

Editorial: Military Swept by Coup Tsunami, Commanders Clueless Audit Reveals Inexperienced Frontline Commanders Incompetence Amid Public Alarm

Last month, when a woman in her 30s damaged a barbed-wire sensor at a General Outpost (GOP) in the central frontline, our military reportedly ended the search operation before securing the suspect, stating, “It is presumed to be a civilian collecting wild vegetables.” Despite the civilian’s unauthorized crossing of the Civilian Control Line (CCL), no report was made to superiors, and without proper interrogation, they concluded, “There appears to be no suspicion of espionage.” The commanding officer’s judgment that the individual was “collecting wild vegetables” in a mountain stripped of leaves is absurd.

The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Corps, which guard the frontline, are commanded by the Ground Operations Command (GOC) chief. Responsible for 70% of the Army’s combat power, the position has traditionally been held by infantry officers. However, the current commander is an artillery officer. During a South Korea-US joint training exercise simulating a real combat scenario last August, North Korean forces breached the frontline corps and advanced to the outskirts of Seoul. When questioned during a recent parliamentary audit, the GOC chief, the top authority for ground defense, rambled incoherently. He stated, “The training is conducted in preparation for the wartime operational control (OPCON) transition,” but when pressed about the training result where Seoul’s vicinity was penetrated, he claimed, “Linking the exercise outcome to OPCON is not valid.” He also failed to recall when orders were issued to subordinate divisions. He was even reprimanded with, “If you don’t know anything, just go in.”

The 1st Corps commander, who implemented “empty-gun vigilance,” claimed during the audit, “There was absolutely no issue with our readiness.” The 1st Corps commander, the first non-Korea Military Academy graduate, has only been excluded from duty but has not faced disciplinary action. The 5th Corps commander, whose GOP fence sensor was damaged, is a logistics specialist. The 2nd Corps commander’s expertise is personnel management. Most corps commanders guarding the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) lack prior experience as frontline division commanders.

Read the full story at The Chosun Ilbo · All coverage of this story