Cheon Ha-ram, the floor leader of the Reform Party, criticized Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek on recent controversies within the Ministry of National Defense, including the failure to equip frontline posts with live ammunition and a mistaken incident involving a U.S. drone. He questioned, "How can the Ministry of National Defense be managed well when the suspicions surrounding Minister Ahn's desertion have not been resolved?"
On August 5, during an appearance on Channel A's radio show 'Political Signal,' Cheon stated, "The Ministry of National Defense is fundamentally a place that operates regularly under the defense system, so issues do not often arise."
He attributed the various controversies to the unresolved suspicions regarding Minister Ahn's desertion, asking, "How can the Ministry of National Defense stand firm?"
Cheon emphasized that a military record is a basic document that a minister should provide for verification, noting, "In our country, we are sensitive about military service issues, so we even check the military records of ministers and their children from unrelated departments."
He mentioned that when he requested the military records from the Defense Security Command, he was told, "We cannot find them as the command is being disbanded." He questioned, "This is not just an individual's record but that of the Defense Minister; how can it be missing?" He added that he would request the records again now that the establishment of the Defense Security Headquarters has been completed.
Cheon pointed out, "The fact that the Defense Minister cannot provide the most basic documents indicates there is a problem, which is why they cannot be disclosed. They should actively resolve the suspicions, but they are just brushing them aside."
He expressed concerns about the morale and discipline within the military, stating, "There are even discussions about whether the Defense Minister should be dismissed or replaced. If we simply change the minister and move on, it will set a bad precedent."
Furthermore, he remarked, "Whether it is the president or the minister, if they do not acknowledge their mistakes and apologize, but instead subtly change personnel, it will lead to a regression for South Korea. They must take responsibility."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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