[Dialogue] Korean Armed Forces Out of Democratic Control / Kim Jong-dae, Yeo Seok-ju, Lee Tae-ho
The Quarterly Changbi 172, Summer 2016
Abstract
The deep-rooted problems found within the ROKA are addressed as the second agenda of Dialogue, featuring "The Inside of 'The Conservative Forces' in Korea". What are the armed forces of South Korea like, where the conscription system has been adopted for so long? And what kind of mechanism makes it possible for the authorities to infringe on soldiers' right to vote in the presidential election at the military camp? After raising those questions, the participants discuss the main topics, such complicated issues found in ROKA as those of human rights in the military, corruption scandals implicated in the national defense, the democratic control over the armed forces, and so on. These problems, plus possible reform plans, are discussed by Kim Jong-dae, the newly-elected member of the 20th National Assembly, Yeo Seok-joo, the former chief watch officer of the Blue House, and Lee Tae-ho, the chairperson of the policy advisory committee of PSPD (People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy).