Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate, said on the 26th regarding the promise of 'military civilianization,' "It has been a practice to appoint the Minister of Defense as a military officer, but I think it would now be desirable for the Minister of Defense to also be appointed as a civilian."
The candidate met with reporters after completing a discussion with students at Ajou University in Suwon that day and noted, "Military civilianization is something that advanced countries all do." However, he added, "Vice Ministers and lower-level military command and military administration should be divided," stating, "Military command should be military, and military administration should be a proper mix of both, avoiding extreme choices."
Earlier, the candidate stated on Facebook that morning, "I will restore the prestige of the national army that was damaged by the 12.3 emergency martial law," and announced security pledges including ▲ strengthening civilian control ▲ improving military personnel systems ▲ a recruiting system based on the premise of a national military service system allowing selection between 'conscripts' and 'technology-intensive combat warrant officers' ▲ raising the on-duty allowance for officers to the level of general civil servants ▲ linking policies for junior officers' housing support.
Civilian control is the process of giving decision-making authority in a nation's military and defense policies to civilians rather than professional military personnel. The Democratic Party believes that military system reform is necessary in light of the 12.3 emergency martial law. The candidate also promised to maintain the national military service system while allowing those subject to military service to choose between 'conscripts' and 'technology-intensive combat warrant officers,' stating, "Naturally, the draft should be the basis," and questioned, "If we adopt a volunteer system, won't the rich and powerful not go to (the military)?"