52nd minister takes office pledging to build 'warrior community' that defeats the enemy

Ahn Kyu-baek: 'First civilian minister in 64 years, mission accomplished'

Incoming Minister of National Defense Kang Shin-chul receives the ministry flag from outgoing Minister Ahn Kyu-baek during the change-of-command ceremony at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday. [Yonhap]
Incoming Minister of National Defense Kang Shin-chul receives the ministry flag from outgoing Minister Ahn Kyu-baek during the change-of-command ceremony at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday. [Yonhap]

Kang Shin-chul was sworn in as minister of national defense on Tuesday, declaring that "victory will be our strategy and victory will be our policy," and pledging to carry out defense reforms aimed at winning.

Speaking at his inauguration as the 52nd minister of national defense at the ministry, Kang said, "We are here to win," and defined the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, USFK and UN Command personnel, reservists, civilian defense employees and ministry staff as a single "warrior community."

"Warriors are those who share the unique quality of dedicating themselves to defeating the enemy," he said. "This is not a contractual arrangement for a salary, nor a relationship of mutual interest. We have been called to uphold the Constitution and defend the Republic of Korea."

Kang described the security environment as "a new era in which we must compete and win across every domain." Winning in competition, he said, means "expanding the freedom to pursue national interests" — deepening strategic depth to multiply South Korea's strategic options while limiting the opportunities of adversaries and hostile forces, thereby enabling the achievement of national policy and objectives. His vision is to build a military capable of defeating the enemy not only on land, at sea and in the air, but across all domains.

He outlined three immediate priorities: establishing the concept of the warrior community, building a joint force structure, and instilling a culture of relentless training. He also said that "warrior spirit" remains the core even in a high-technology environment.

"Smartphones have made human life more convenient, but they have not made humans smarter," Kang said. "Advanced science and technology may make it easier to wage war, but the nature of war has not changed." He said he would cultivate a warrior philosophy and culture geared toward future warfare from the moment a soldier first puts on a uniform, and would also build a morale and welfare system for the defense community.

Invoking Caesar's "I came, I saw, I conquered," Kang said the ancient Roman legions "were able to win without fighting with overwhelming force." He called on South Korea's forces to deploy anywhere, see anywhere and deter the enemy with overwhelming capability to prevail in competition. "We will develop and field the weapons systems and build the military power to make that possible," he said. "When that is achieved, we can win without fighting — and win completely."

"We will not merely predict the future — we will shape it into the future we want," he added. "The warrior community must be rough, relentless and lethal to the enemy, but must also be warriors loved by the people."

At the close of his inaugural address, Kang thanked outgoing Minister Ahn Kyu-baek "on behalf of all service members and the defense community."

Ahn, who stepped down at the same ceremony, said: "Today, I step down as the first civilian defense minister in 64 years, having fulfilled the historic mission of ending the Dec. 3 insurrection and rebuilding the people's military."

He cited the following achievements during his roughly 14 months in office: disbanding the Defense Counterintelligence Command and restructuring intelligence agencies to institutionalize the military's political neutrality; laying the groundwork for recovering wartime OPCON; advancing the nuclear-powered submarine program; restructuring the military; establishing a quasi-fourth-service status for the Marine Corps; strengthening the three-axis system; building the foundation for advanced capabilities including 500,000 drone warriors and the K-Lucas program; and improving conditions for junior officers.

Ahn expressed confidence in his successor, saying Kang "possesses deep strategic insight, experience and inclusive leadership" and would "breathe new vitality into defense reform and self-reliant national defense," and urged the military to give him its full trust.

He closed with a classical Chinese saying — "The moon sets but does not leave the sky" — adding: "Even after I return to my seat in the National Assembly, my heart will always remain with the defense community, and I will be a steadfast shield against the bitter winds."


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