S.Korean protection chief admits ‘difficulties’ in expeditiously relocating ministry

The South Korean protection minister on Tuesday publicly warned of “numerous and overlapping difficulties” in relocating and dispersing the army departments and items on a good schedule, noting the need to “reduce” safety vacuum at a important juncture.

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s transition group on March 15 requested the Protection Ministry to give you methods to vacate the constructing by the top of this month through the use of its present services, the ministry mentioned in a written report back to the Nationwide Meeting’s protection committee.

The ministry mentioned the presidential transition committee underscored the “necessity of the expeditious relocation to ensure circumstances” for Yoon to hold out his duties upon inauguration.

Yoon on Sunday formally introduced the plan to relocate the presidential workplace on the Protection Ministry compound by his inauguration on Might 10.

The Protection Ministry’s departments and army items will transfer into the adjoining constructing presently utilized by the Joint Chiefs of Workers, which might be step by step relocated to the Capital Protection Command in Namtaeryeong, Gwanak-gu in Seoul.

However the Protection Ministry mentioned in Tuesday’s report that “circumstances must be assured to keep up the (army) readiness posture in consideration of safety circumstances throughout the federal government transition interval and the schedule of the mixed army coaching.”

Seoul and Washington anticipate to conduct the joint army drills in mid-April, whereas North Korea is broadly anticipated to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile or a satellite tv for pc across the identical time.

South Korean Protection Minister Suh Wook additionally instructed lawmakers that he personally sees the “necessity to seek the advice of on the timing and schedule” of the relocation plan with the transition group, whereas attending the emergency assembly of the Nationwide Meeting’s protection committee.

Relocation at a delicate time
The protection minister mentioned he has expressed issues over infeasibility and “army difficulties” attributable to the plan in his assembly with the presidential transition committee.

Particularly, Suh pointed to the “peril” of transferring the Protection Ministry’s departments and army items in April, when the South Korea-US joint army drills are scheduled to be performed. The protection chief went on to say that the army “feels the burden” of the present timeframe.

“There might be numerous and overlapping difficulties because the locations (we work) and we conduct army workout routines are totally different,” the minister instructed lawmakers.

Suh admitted that “there seems to be a number of concern over the relocation because it has been determined in such a short while and with out assessment.”

Suh mentioned the Nationwide Safety Council members raised issues over pending points at a gathering held the day before today.The problems embrace transferring tools of the presidential workplace’s disaster administration middle into the Protection Ministry compound and sustaining watertight army readiness within the technique of redeployment

However the protection minister repeatedly pledged that the army will try to “reduce” a safety vacuum that could be attributable to the relocation, emphasizing that Seoul has “army choices” to answer North Korea’s surprising “provocations.”

In the course of the assembly, the protection chief mentioned the relocation of the presidential workplace additionally requires the redeployment of air protection artillery corps.

Suh moreover admitted that he has “issues about” the presidential workplace, the Protection Ministry, and the JCS being positioned on the identical place.

“For my part, it’s a precept that (the three) ought to be dispersed based mostly on army issues,” Suh instructed lawmakers. “Due to this fact, cautious examination is required.”

In a written report, the army additionally pointed on the market are limitations to find accessible area that may accommodate 16 army items and round 6,500 personnel presently working on the Protection Ministry compound.

The Protection Ministry underlined that the transition group ought to take account of the time required to signal a contract with a packing service firm and full the redeployment into present services with out refurbishment.

The ministry mentioned it “takes at the very least 4 weeks” to disperse and relocate army departments and items into the JCS headquarters and different close by services, together with the vacant constructing beforehand utilized by the Protection Acquisition Program Administration.

By Ji Da-gyum (dagyumji@heraldcorp.com)