Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back was set to preside over a meeting of key commanders Wednesday to discuss rebuilding the military into one trusted by the people, a year after a failed martial law bid that involved the former defense minister and a slew of military top brass.
The meeting comes a day after Ahn issued an apology over the military's involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law bid on Dec. 3 last year, when troops were deployed to the National Assembly to block lawmakers from voting down the decree.
Some 150 key military officials are set to take part in the meeting scheduled for later in the day, with participants expected to discuss rebuilding the military, reorganizing its structure by 2040 and improving working conditions for officers.
Top generals appointed by Yoon, including former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Park An-su, who served as the martial law commander and former head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung, are currently under trial for playing a key role in the insurrection.
Following his appointment as the country's first civilian defense chief in 64 years, Ahn, a five-term lawmaker, pledged to rebuild the military into one for the people and break from the past in which the military was "wasted as a tool for emergency martial law."
Alongside internal issues, the meeting is also expected to touch on South Korea's push to regain wartime operational control from the United States within President Lee Jae Myung's five-year term that ends in 2030.
In the allies' annual security meeting held last month, Ahn and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared the view that there was meaningful progress made during their bilateral evaluation on readiness posture and capabilities, and agreed to develop a road map to acquire the capabilities to expedite the conditions needed for the transition. (Yonhap)
