South Korean President plans defense posture overhaul

Defense Professionals ^ | 5/17/2010 | Defense Professionals

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Strongly insinuating that North Korea was behind the sinking of a Navy warship, President Lee Myung-bak in early May announced major changes in the way South Korea’s military will defend the country.

“It has now become clear that the Cheonan did not sink from a simple accident,” Lee said in an opening address at an unprecedented meeting of military commanders on May 4. “As soon as the incident happened, I realized that it was a grave international issue, that included inter-Korean relations, and made an order to the defense minister to lay bare the cause through international cooperation.”

Lee hosted the meeting of 150 commanders at the Defense Ministry, and the opening speech was broadcast live nationwide. He also announced a plan to create a presidential team to review the national security posture.

“After the cause [of the Cheonan sinking] is revealed, I will take a resolute and stern countermeasure,” Lee said. “But even before the probe outcome comes, we have an immediate task. It is a complete review of our national security posture.”

“Taking into account the peculiar situation of the world’s only divided nation amid hostilities, we must reshape our military’s capabilities,” Lee said. “We must especially check on our readiness against asymmetric capabilities, including special warfare.”

Asymmetric warfare is a strategy used by weaker adversaries against stronger ones that emphasizes small, mobile, elusive and inventive fighting methods. Nuclear weapons, missiles, chemical weapons, special operation units, cyber warfare and submarine offensives are components of asymmetric warfare, in contrast to conventional capabilities such as tanks and artille

[flowerplough]

South Korea’s Defense Posture:

Crouch in the shadow of America’s Conventional/Nuclear Umbrella. And then manufacture and sell evermore Samsungs and Hyundais.