(EDITORIAL from Korea JoongAng Daily on Aug. 5)

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back convened a military meeting on Monday to order a special inspection of military discipline following a series of concerning incidents. These included soldiers on guard with unloaded rifles and a near-miss with an American drone mistaking a joint U.S.-South Korea exercise drone for a North Korean aircraft due to improper communication.

Opposition party members also accused the 1st Corps of erroneously issuing an air-defense alert after misidentifying a test drone as a hostile aircraft. This state of affairs appears far from President Lee Jae Myung's directive for the highest defense readiness in March. Since his inauguration, the government has been investigating martial law declarations, replacing commanders abruptly, and experiencing frequent changes in leadership.

This has disrupted the chain of command and fostered a culture of anonymous complaints and lobbying for promotions. Additionally, the government's plan to merge military academies has created friction between the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The government's assertion of an unwavering defense posture in light of these incidents is called into question, particularly as the Korean-U.S. alliance faces strain over military secrets leaks and wartime operational control disagreements.

With doubts about the military's ability to make its own decisions and the public's sense of security, it remains uncertain whether the country can fully accept the transfer of wartime operational control under the current administration.