(EDITORIAL from the Korea Herald on May 19)

Defense minister's role

A war of words is underway between South and North Korea while tension is high on
the Korean Peninsula following the North's nuclear and missile tests. Various
military, party and government apparatus in the North are competitively releasing
provocative words against the South, specifically targeting President Lee
Myung-bak and Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee.

The North Korean Armed Forces General Staff threatened destruction of Seoul at
the start of a war, pointing to the fact that the metropolis of 10 million people
is located within 50 kilometers of the border. Since the first North Korean
nuclear crisis in the early 1990s, "turning Seoul into a sea of fire" has been a
favorite phrase of the North, which boasts of long-range artillery deployed along
the truce line.
Almost singlehandedly, Minister Lee is countering the verbal attack from the
North. "Fifty kilometers and 150 kilometers (the distance between the border and
the North Korean capital Pyongyang) are just two numbers that have no significant
difference in modern warfare," said the minister, who emphasized the allied
forces' preemptive strike capabilities as much as he did their retaliatory power.
In testifying at the National Assembly, addressing field army units and speaking
to the press, the minister never failed to mention the Southern military's
readiness to fight and win.
"Don't be disturbed by the North's trite rhetoric but counter any real act of
provocation clearly and resolutely." Minister Lee gave this instruction to all
armed forces commands as the North stepped up its provocative maneuvering
recently. "Be ready to win if war starts tonight. Every soldier should be the
toughest warrior. Never say that a democratic military means easy service."
The defense minister and other military leaders have enough reason to be
confident of victory in the event of a new war. The Republic of Korea's Armed
Forces are to spend 26 trillion won in 2009, - comparable to the North's entire
GDP. While extensive forces improvement programs are in progress under the 2020
Defense Reform Plan to introduce state-of-the-art equipment into the three armed
services, the North Korean People's Army has to reduce its training schedule and
put its personnel into farming to supplant meager supplies.
In opinion polls, only a small fraction of the populace in the South is found to
fear a recurrence of war on the Korean Peninsula, but the percentage has risen a
little due to the increased antagonism between Seoul and Pyongyang since the
launch of the Lee Myung-bak government last year and the North's nuclear and
missile tests. Under these circumstances, defense officials from Minister Lee on
down face a delicate task.
They must maintain morale in the armed forces and the public's confidence in our
military capability, but do this while accurately informing them of the reality
of danger. Since taking office a year ago, the defense minister has done quite
well in dealing with the North's verbal offensives. It will be even better if he
counters North Korean provocative acts in a sophisticated and restrained manner
to dilute their effect on our citizens and help them engage peacefully in trade.
(END)