Tag: Defense Security Command

A suicide note was found at the scene. Lee’s body has been transferred to a hospital morgue.

Lee, 60, was being probed by the prosecution over his alleged involvement in the illegal surveilling of bereaved families of victims from a 2014 deadly ferry sinking that took more than 300 lives.

Prosecutors accused him of ordering his officers to collect information about any possible misconduct by the families to adversely affect the public’s sympathetic sentiment toward them.

This photo, provided by the defense ministry, shows Lt. Gen. Nam Young-sin, the commander of the Army’s Special Warfare Command, whom President Moon Jae-in appointed as the new head of the Defense Security Command (DSC) on Aug. 3, 2018. (Yonhap)

As I have been saying, the South Korean leftists want to get rid of the Defense Security Command and then claim they are conducting “reforms”:

A committee studying how to reform the military’s Defense Security Command (DSC) recommended on Thursday to abolish all legal underpinnings for the 70-year-old intelligence unit and substituting it with something new.

The committee also called for cutting the DSC’s workforce by at least 30 percent and shutting down all its regional units.

It was revealed last month that the DSC drew up contingency plans for martial law last year in case the Constitutional Court rejected the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye and chaos ensued.

Chang Young-dal, head of the committee, said at a press conference that after two months of deliberation, it recommended abolishing the legal foundation for the current DSC and setting up a new intelligence unit with a new name.

“We assess that if we achieve all reform measures, there will not be illegal meddling in political affairs or illegal surveillance of civilians,” said Chang, adding that a reformed DNC would not conduct activities that would negatively “affect the morale” of military officials by exerting a sense of “privilege.”   [Joong Ang Ilbo]

You can read more at the link, but is there anyone that does think that whatever the reformed DSC becomes it won’t be stocked with leftists?  Maybe Moon can have Im Jong-seok chair the “reformed” DSC?

Here is the latest on the so called attempted coup that South Korea’s political left is claiming the Defense Security Command was planning to execute:

Rival parties on Wednesday exchanged barbs over a controversy surrounding the military intelligence unit’s documents written last year to prepare for the imposition of martial law to curb anti-government protests.

The war of words further intensified after the floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) claimed Tuesday that the Defense Security Command (DSC) had also devised a similar plan in 2004, when former liberal President Roh Moo-hyun was impeached.

In March 2004, Roh was impeached by parliament on charges that included illegal electioneering, but he was reinstated by the top court about two months later.

The controversy was sparked as a civic group disclosed DSC documents last month that showed the unit had set up detailed plans for declaring martial law last year to curb civilians’ candlelight protests against then corruption-ridden President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached by parliament.

The group also claimed Monday that the DSC allegedly wiretapped phone conversations between Roh and his defense minister more than a decade ago and carried out illegal surveillance on millions of civilians.

President Moon Jae-in earlier ordered an independent probe into the DSC.

The LKP raised doubts about how the Center for Military Human Rights Korea could secure such classified documents.

Kim Sung-tae, the floor leader of the LKP, even said Tuesday that it is absurd that military reforms are being moved by a civic group, whose chief is struggling with his sexual identity.

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) condemned Kim’s remarks.

“The floor leader of the largest opposition party is misleading public sentiment. It is questionable that the LKP is trying to defend the DSC,” said Baek Hye-ryun, a spokeswoman at the party.

The ruling party regarded DSC documents as evidence for a de facto coup. But the LKP, which was the ruling party under Park’s government, claimed that they might have been just drawn up to prepare for emergency situations, not for rebellion.

“The DSC documents were kind of the risk management manual, not documents over an attempted rebellion or coup,” said Kim Byong-joon, the LKP’s interim leader.  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link, but considering the DSC’s charter planning for the defense of the ruling government is part of their job description.  If thousands of protesters showed up and stormed the Blue House to remove President Park if the Constitutional Court did not approve of her impeachment, should the DSC be expected to sit back and let it happen?

If so, that means South Korea’s left believes in mob rule and not a constitutional government.

It looks like the Korean conservative party in an effort to protect the DSC is claiming that the organization once drew up martial law plans to protect former left-wing President Roh Moo-hyun:

The Defense Security Command (DSC) on Tuesday dismissed an opposition floor leader’s allegations that it drew up a document on the possible imposition of martial law after the 2004 impeachment of liberal former President Roh Moo-hyun.

Earlier in the day, Rep. Kim Sung-tae of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party raised the allegations amid criticism that the DSC explored the possibility of imposing martial law to quash public protests against then corruption-tainted President Park Geun-hye.

“Rep. Kim’s argument is different from facts,” the DSC said in a text message sent to reporters.

“The DSC under the former government checked if there was any problem (on the part of the DSC), and there was nothing whatsoever that indicates the unit considered the (possible invocation of) martial law,” it added.  [Yonhap]

The roles of the DSC includes planning security measures and gathering information regarding military-related activities. Its primary mission is to protect national security, which includes anti-espionage and anti-terrorism activities and protecting defense industry-relation information.  The commander of the DSC reports to the Defense Minister, but can report directly to the President as well.

It is arguable the South Korean political left want to either disband or “reform” the DSC before pursuing their own goal of creating a confederation with North Korea.