Defense minister nominee says to review inter-Korean military pact from scratch
SEOUL, June 27 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister nominee Ahn Gyu-back said Friday he will reconsider a now-scrapped military tension reduction agreement from scratch, if appointed, but dismissed the possibility of its immediate restoration.
Ahn, a five-term lawmaker, was tapped as President Lee Jae Myung's first defense minister earlier this month. He is the first civilian defense chief to be nominated in 64 years for the post that has been generally taken by retired military generals.
"I believe that dialogue is the most important," Ahn told reporters as he prepares for a parliamentary confirmation hearing.
"North Korea is our enemy yet our people. We need to deal with the North in a multitrack approach. The 2018 military pact should be reviewed from the starting point."
During his presidential campaign, Lee had said he will revive the now-suspended inter-Korean military tension reduction pact and ensure peace in the border area. South Korea fully suspended the agreement in June last year in response to the North's repeated launches of trash-carrying balloons.
Ahn, however, said he will consider various circumstances to seek the "most peaceful approach" rather than restoring the agreement immediately, noting how a mood of detente should first be established through civilian exchange.
When asked about how he plans to respond to growing pressure to hike defense spending and speculations over Washington seeking "strategic flexibility" of U.S. Forces Korea, Ahn said he will handle the issues based on the national interest.
"I believe we need to cope with such issues in a proactive and positive manner, rather than a passive manner. I will assess where our national interest lies and approach issues in such a proactive manner," Ahn said.
Ahn also vowed to shore up the military's confidence and rebuild troops as the military's morale has fallen following former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun's involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law bid.
"It is the reality that our military is facing difficulties due to the Dec. 3 illegal insurrection. The military's morale has plummeted. … I will pour all my efforts to resolve this issue," the nominee said.
At the same time, Ahn emphasized the importance of holding responsible those who took part in the martial law bid, saying a makeshift approach to the incident could lead to other "festering wounds."
Apart from Kim, the former defense minister suspected of helping incite martial law imposition, senior military commanders, including Army Chief of Staff Gen. Park An-su, who served as martial law commander, face charges over their roles in the martial law plot.
mlee@yna.co.kr
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