During the Moon administration, for example, three or four presidential secretaries were reportedly directly involved in promotions of generals under the logic that the military should be controlled by people from a certain region during their term; a lieutenant colonel reported sensitive information to a deputy director of national security without following a chain of command when two North Koreans were forcibly repatriated; the highest ranking officer of the Korean military was interrogated for four hours when he was deemed to be disobeying a deputy director of national security, while the general argued he is only answerable to a South Korean president or defense minister. The Yoon administration repeatedly announced that it would be different from the past and would not excessively intervene. If true until the end of the term, this actually could be one of the accomplishments the Yoon administration can claim.

The South Korean military is currently facing a myriad of problems, including a North Korea with enhanced capabilities; rising regional tensions; internal discrimination; unsteady recruitment of entry-level officers, especially when their wages could be lower than conscripts under a new plan; and an aging and declining population, to name a few. Launching a coup for the first time after forty-two years is probably the least of the military’s concerns, and there is no sign that this is about to change. While the Yoon administration might be free from the danger of military coups, it should take necessary steps to resolve concerns raised by its citizens for the past three months before it is too late.

Seoho Lee is a former Korea studies fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. A graduate of Tufts University’s Fletcher School, his articles had been published and featured in Foreign Policy, the Diplomat, Asia Times, among other outlets. Twitter: @slee_0602

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