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President Roh Moo-hyun on Thursday fired a broadside at former defense ministers and chiefs of staff who oppose Seoul's early takeover of full operational control of its troops. "They took pride in being defense minister or chief of staff leading the nation's military when they couldn¡¯t even control its operations in wartime,¡± he told the 50th standing committee meeting of the Advisory Council on Democratic and Peaceful Unification. "When they issued a declaration against Korea taking over wartime operational control of its own troops, they completely neglected their duty. They should be ashamed of themselves.¡±
He said the Korean military ¡°is perfectly capable of taking wartime operational control of its troops.¡± ¡°We make good mobile phones, cars and ships; why not wartime operational control?" he demanded. Roh said the government seeks the handover to prepare for any emergency in North Korea. "Would we have anything to say to China and North Korea when we can't even control our own troops in wartime and can¡¯t decide whether to bomb a civilian facility in the North and which facility to target?" he asked. "This is diplomatically very important."
The president said the former defense chiefs must know that any emergency in North Korea will bring South Korea and China closer. "They believe they¡¯re right when they oppose everything I do. I became president out of the blue, and that¡¯s why they want to interfere with anything I do," he said.
Turning to greater strategic flexibility for the U.S. Forces Korea, Roh said Seoul and Beijing agreed that Korea will be wary of any hostile action against China the U.S. might contemplate. He said he had ¡°completely covered¡± the issue in extensive discussions with U.S. President George W. Bush as well.
Explaining the government¡¯s Defense Reform 2020, which would see troop numbers reduced to 500,000, the president said, "We need to reduce the number of our soldiers further, and we can do it. We shouldn¡¯t force our children to waste several years in the military. If they can work hard during that time instead, they can get married earlier and have children early too.¡±
Summing up his wide-ranging comments on current affairs, he said, ¡°We need to make a change if we have to, and I¡¯m going to do just that even if I face criticism. This is the spirit a single-term president needs."
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President Roh Moo-hyun speaks at a standing committee meeting of Advisory Council on Democratic and Peaceful Unification in Seoul on Thursday.
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The president also laid into three aspiring candidates in next year¡¯s presidential election, describing his appointment of the moderate Goh Kun as his first prime minister as "a failure.¡± "I chose Goh in the hope that he would become a bridge bringing me closer to conservatives, but it alienated me and the government from them instead,¡± Roh said.
His decision to appoint Uri Party hopefuls Kim Geun-tae and Chung Dong-young as health and unification ministers was equally disappointing, he said. Roh compared himself to U.S. president Lincoln, saying his appointment of Kim and Chung to his Cabinet was motivated by ¡°a similar engagement principle.¡± ¡°I did the same as Lincoln. The difference is that I came under fire for doing so. It¡¯s very depressing. I tried to copy Lincoln but it didn¡¯t work. It's no fun at all.¡±
Goh Kun refrained from a direct response, but a close aide said Goh ¡°played a role in dealing with President Roh¡¯s impeachment crisis. The public will evaluate whether Goh did well or not.¡±
The ruling party was furious. Kim Geun-tae, now Uri chairman, was briefed on the remarks during a late-night meeting and merely told reporters, "We¡¯re well aware what the president said.¡± Pundits say Roh's remarks aim to check those who seek to disband the ruling party and create a new one by joining hands with Goh and give Kim and Chung a slap on the wrist over their mounting criticism of the president.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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