Errors and command instability deepen concerns over South Korea's military readiness

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back convened a meeting of the military's top commanders on Monday and ordered a special inspection of discipline across the armed forces.

The move followed a series of troubling incidents, including an Army 1st Corps operation along the western front in which soldiers reportedly stood guard with unloaded rifles.

In another embarrassing episode, an American drone participating in a joint U.S.-South Korea exercise was nearly shot down after being mistaken for a North Korean drone because a mission report had not been properly relayed.

The opposition party also raised allegations Tuesday that the 1st Corps had again mistaken a drone launched by the Army's test and evaluation unit for an enemy aircraft and issued an air-defense alert.

The state of the military today appears far removed from President Lee Jae Myung's directive at a March commanders' meeting to maintain the highest level of defense readiness in preparation for the country's grave security environment.

For more than a year since taking office, the government has been conducting investigations related to the declaration of martial law.

Commanders have been abruptly replaced, and acting leadership has become commonplace, throwing the military's chain of command into disarray.

Amid the confusion, reports have emerged of anonymous complaints and behind-the-scenes lobbying aimed at securing promotions, practices long associated with the military's internal culture.

At the same time, the government's push to merge the three military academies as part of its reform agenda has fueled friction between the Army and the government, as well as among the Army, Navy and Air Force.

Voices of disappointment are growing over the Ahn Gyu-back Defense Ministry, the first civilian-led defense leadership in 64 years.

The Korean-U.S. alliance, the backbone of the country's security, is also showing signs of strain as disputes intensify over the government's push to restore the Sept. 19 inter-Korean military agreement as a confidence-building measure, allegations involving the leakage of military secrets and the transfer of wartime operational control.

In light of the recent drone incident, Defense Minister Ahn's May remark that "there would be no major problem even if wartime operational control were returned tomorrow," along with President Lee's instruction that "officials should say there is no problem whatsoever," sounds hollow.

When basic communication between the Korean and U.S. militaries — and even within Korea's own armed forces — fails to function properly, leaving troops unable to determine in time whether an aircraft is friend or foe, it is reasonable to ask whether the public can accept the transfer of wartime operational control during this administration's term.

The government has repeatedly emphasized that peace on the Korean Peninsula rests on two pillars: strong military capabilities and an airtight defense posture.

The Defense Ministry has argued that an army unable to make its own decisions cannot become a truly strong military, citing that principle as a reason for transferring operational control.

The government should ask itself whether, in light of these recent incidents, the public can genuinely feel secure enough to go about their daily lives.