Text Fwd: [PSPD] ROK Government Should Strengthen Crisis Management System, Not Military Might

People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy(PSPD)
ROK Government Should Strengthen Crisis Management System, Not Military Might
Dec. 13, 2010

- Stop the blaming of the previous governments for the current failure of managing crisis
- Stop unrealistic, military retaliation plans to avoid military escalation
- Stop closed-doors decisions and unilateral North policy that make people more insecure

Unprecedented war clouds are hanging over Korea. Following a ROK-US joint military exercise that ended today(Dec 1), the ROK government announced the start of shooting exercises at all seas. This comes immediately after the announcement of a higher increase in the military budget for next year, and concentration of fire power at the troubled war. Also in review is change of the code of engagement towards immediate and non-proportional retaliation. With regard to these worrisome developments and the recent Presidential public statement on the crisis, PSPD (People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy) appeals the following.

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Furthermore, by nullifying the June 15th and October 4th Inter-Korea Agreements, Lee’s government undermined sustainability, predictability and credibility of inter-Korea agreements. It is also highly questionable if there was any prudence when the head of the intelligence agency announced ill health of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and media followed it by painting a near-collapse situation in Pyongyang. When Lee’s government openly made its new military strategy public, it shocked observers: it contained plans to capture Pyongyang to capture North Korean leadership, dismantle weapons of mass destruction, and stabilize North Korea. The ROK-US joint military exercises of the past six months were mostly not defensive, but provocative in the way they assumed occupation of North Korea. What the development of the past three years points to is that responsibility of today’s crisis lies both on North Korea’s military adventurism and South Korea’s unilateralism.

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Since the attack on Yeonpyeong Island, the military budget is likely to make a big leap. Yesterday, the parliamentary defense committee passed a military budget plan of 8.1% increase for the next year (31.9 trillion won / 31.9 billion dollars), much larger than the earlier proposal of 5.8% increase. PSPD criticizes this decision because this is a random inflation of the budget making use of the Yeonpyeong incident, but without due scrutiny over the need and utility. The National Assembly(parliament) must ask in its budgetary review session whether it was the shortage of budget and arms or inefficient use of the large armament in hand that lies behind the failure in defense in Yeonpyeong incident.

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Intentions to overwhelm or subdue the other side by military means only increase mutual mistrust and the danger of armed conflict. And deeper insecurity and larger cost fall upon the people. What Lee’s government should do is to move away from unilateral high stance towards North Korea and instead to place crisis management measures towards making peace. The logic of punishment by might cannot foster peace.

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See also

Kyunghyang Sinmun
President Lee's Perception of North Korea is Highly Dangerous
Posted on : 2010-12-13

Minister of National Defense Recent News 685
South Korean and U.S. military chief discuss new retaliation strategy
Dec. 9

Minister of National Defense Recent News 684
Subject Military needs to be trained more on combat preparation : Kim
Dec. 9