The Ministry of National Defense is moving to open senior posts long reserved for uniformed officers to civilian officials, a shift experts say could strengthen policy capacity and reinforce civilian oversight — so long as institutional standards keep pace.
The ministry is expanding the number of civilian officials in positions traditionally held by active-duty officers as part of a broader effort to reinforce civilian oversight of the military.
"Someone coming from outside the field isn't bound by existing frames of reference," said Ko Soo-il, a professor of business administration at Jeonbuk National University, in an interview with The Korea Herald. "They may spot issues insiders failed to see and approach them from new angles. That kind of fresh perspective can be helpful as long as the individual is not completely disconnected from the broader domain."
According to military authorities Thursday, the ministry recently released a draft revision to its internal organizational regulations allowing a key personnel planning post to be filled by a career civil servant rather than an active-duty officer.
Under the revision, the position — typically held by an Army colonel — would be assigned to a senior civil service official. The post plays a central role in coordinating and overseeing overall military personnel policy. Core functions previously handled by the office, including general officer personnel management, would be reassigned to a separate personnel operations unit under the ministry's human resources bureau, also led by a civilian official.
The Lee Jae Myung administration has accelerated efforts to strengthen civilian control over the military — a core defense reform agenda following the Dec. 3, 2024, martial law episode. The initiative focuses on appointing more civilians to senior Defense Ministry and affiliated agency posts while reducing the structural influence of active-duty and retired officers.
Civilianization gained further momentum with the appointment of Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, the first civilian to hold the post since South Korea's 1961 military coup. Since his inauguration, civilian appointments to senior military-related posts have expanded, including the restructuring of a general officer aide position into a civilian-held defense adviser role.
The drive has also extended into emerging defense policy areas.
In December last year, the ministry created a deputy ministerial assistant post expected to be held by a civilian official. The role will oversee artificial intelligence policy, data utilization and broader defense innovation initiatives, while participating in key arms procurement deliberation bodies.
Some observers, however, warn that rapidly expanding civilian appointments could weaken field-level understanding in personnel management and operational planning.
Addressing such concerns, Ahn Young-soo, a professor of military studies at Seokyeong University, said objective evaluation systems matter more than occupational background.
"There are already objective personnel indicators," Ahn said. "Decisions are made based on those benchmarks. I don't think such roles must necessarily be filled by uniformed officers."
He underscored the need to strengthen institutional safeguards.
"Tacit and experiential knowledge from the field, including factors reflected in promotion reviews, should be incorporated into evaluation criteria. If there are gaps, the answer is to refine the standards, not restrict eligibility," he said.
Still, some experts caution against unintended personnel imbalances.
"Successful civilian control in a democracy requires a balance between political accountability and military professionalism," said Suh Joon-bae, a professor of public administration at the Korean National Police University.
"Civilian appointees must demonstrate expertise and a sense of responsibility. There are pros and cons, but professionalism can compensate for gaps, help avoid groupthink and ultimately build public trust."
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