The military is pushing for a plan to immediately mobilize military personnel and equipment in case of large-scale disasters to better guarantee public safety, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday.
  

It is part of the country's ongoing efforts to reform its 48-year-old system for integrated defense, which outlines how to respond to a wide range of threats such as enemies' attacks, disasters and terrorism. Earlier this month, key security agencies discussed the issue during a regular meeting presided over by President Park Geun-hye.
  

"In the face of diversified security challenges of the time, we need to re-establish the system in a way to boost the connectivity of different institutions in charge of national security and public safety," a JCS officer told reporters on condition of anonymity.
  

One of the reform measures includes the establishment of a unified initial response team. Currently, a control tower is set up and run either by the home affairs ministry, police or the military in accordance with the features of each disaster, a system that has been blamed for bungled responses and negligence.
  

"Under the envisioned situation of the unified system, the military can immediately send its human and material resources when a large-scale disaster takes place," the JCS officer said, noting that the military currently can dispatch its resources only when relevant agencies make such requests.
  

"After discussions with the relevant agencies, the government will come up with detailed policy goals in March, including the timeframe for a necessary law revision, which will be pushed for either in the mid- or long-term perspectives."
  

There have been growing public calls for better disaster management after the tragic sinking of the ferry Sewol in April last year that left more than 300 people dead. (Yonhap)