문재인 대통령, 기무사령관 교체…기무사 해편해 새로운 사령부로 창설 지시
Our top story at this hour centers around the fate of the Defense Security Command.
It's been embroiled in scandal after plans were revealed for the possible imposition of martial law last year.
President Moon has fired the general in charge of operations there... and ordered the military intel unit to be replaced by a brand new command.
Hwang Hojun starts us off. Time's up for the scandal-ridden military intelligence unit.
"For comprehensive and swift reform, President Moon ordered the creation of a new command by disbanding and reorganizing the current Defense Security Command... to break clearly from its past."
And as the first step, the South Korean President fired the unit's commander, Lieutenant General Lee Suk-goo, and appointed the chief of Special Warfare Command, Lieutenant General Nam Young-sin, to lead the DSC's reform.
President Moon Jae-in's order to completely rebuild the intel unit came Friday afternoon,... a day after the ad-hoc committee to reform the defense intelligence proposed abolishing all the legal underpinnings for the DSC and slashing its personnel by 30 percent,... virtually liquidating it.
According to President Moon's press secretary Yoon Young-chan, President Moon reviewed the proposal in its entirety on Thursday.
He also called for a new body to be formed that will prepare for the establishment of the as-yet-unnamed new command... and draw up the necessary presidential decrees.
The Blue House's announcement follows a public outcry over the DSC's alleged involvement in politics,... especially after a dossier was made public last month, revealing that the DSC reviewed the possibility of imposing martial law last year to quell protests demanding the impeachment of then President Park Geun-hye.
To right the wrongs of the Defense Security Command, South Korea's commander-in-chief ordered all the accused DSC officers back to their original units.
He also called for the appointment of a non-military inspector to thoroughly investigate any violations of the law at the DSC and, if any are found, for the new commander to act accordingly.
Hwang Hojun, Arirang News.
