The ruling People Power Party on Wednesday called for immediate appointments to fill vacant military leadership posts, attributing recent accidents to a breakdown in discipline stemming from the current leadership vacuum.
Several high-ranking officers were suspended for their alleged involvement in President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024.
“The absence of military leadership has led to ongoing gaps in national security and a breakdown in military discipline, which we cannot ignore as causes of repeated accidents,” said People Power Party spokesperson Ham In-kyung in a statement.
“We can no longer leave these key posts unfilled while the military is responsible for national security,” Ham added.
Her remarks came after the South Korean military suffered from two notable incidents in recent weeks.
On Monday, a South Korean military drone collided with a stationary helicopter while landing at an Army aviation unit in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, following a reconnaissance mission.
No casualties were reported, but both the Heron drone and the KUH-1 Surion helicopter were destroyed in the resulting fire. The Army said an investigation is ongoing and dismissed the possibility of North Korean involvement, such as electronic jamming.
Earlier, on March 6, two KF-16 fighter jets from the South Korean Air Force mistakenly dropped bombs on a civilian area during live-fire drills, leaving 29 people injured. The drills were held ahead of Freedom Shield, an annual joint military exercise with the United States. Investigations revealed that the pilots had entered incorrect coordinates and failed to follow standard in-flight verification procedures.
The top military posts that have remained unfilled since last year include those of nine suspended generals: Gen. Park An-su, former Army Chief of Staff; Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung, former commander of the Defense Counterintelligence Command; Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-geun, former commander of the Special Warfare Command; Lt. Gen. Lee Jin-woo, former commander of the Capital Defense Command; and Maj. Gen. Moon Sang-ho, former head of the Defense Intelligence Command.
The post of Defense Minister is also vacant, as former Minister Kim Yong-hyun was detained over charges related to his involvement in the martial law controversy. Vice Minister Kim Seon-ho is currently serving as acting minister.
South Korea’s military typically makes personnel changes among generals in early April, with preparations beginning in March. However, such preparations appear unlikely amid political uncertainty and the absence of leadership at the ministry, military sources say.
“If personnel appointments are delayed, fatigue among commanding officers at corps and division levels increases, raising the likelihood of further accidents,” a retired Army general, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Korea Herald.
“There are also concerns that any appointments made now could be overturned if there is a sudden change in administration," the general added.
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