Azimuth Check: An Analysis of Military Transformation in the Republic of Korea-is it Sufficient

摘要

In 2005, the Republic of Korea (ROK) Ministry of National Defense (MND) submitted a draft of the Defense Reform Basic Law to the National Assembly, which was the genesis of the Defense Reform Plan (DRP) 2020. The current Defense Reform Plan or sometimes known as the Defense Reform Basic Plan is the third major transformation effort of the ROK military since 1970. The monograph will answer the primary research question: 'Is the future Republic of Korea (ROK) military without augmentation by United States (US) forces organized, trained, and equipped to deal with a complex and ambiguous collapse of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).' It also answers the secondary question: 'Which ROK military force is better--the current force or the future 2020 force.' For the analysis of the DRP the monograph uses a combined model from Andrew Scobell and Bruce Bennett. Andrew Scobell provides scenarios for the future of the DPRK, which is the South Korean's primary security threat. Bruce Bennett provides potential roles and missions for the ROK military. By using a combined model based on Scobell's and Bennett's work, the study conducts a comparison of the current ROK Force versus the ROK 2020 Force. ions, and establish a collaborative effort for training and development of ROK forces for stability operations and for future defense transformation. For the US, this study recommends that the US re-examine force structure of US Force Korea (USFK) with respect to the DRP 2020 and current security requirements, and ensure new organizations resulting from the wartime Operational Control (OPCON) transfer, such as the Alliance Military Coordination Center (AMCC), are fully resourced with quality personnel.