By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter

The Defense Ministry said Thursday that it will adopt a French-style military reform, which calls for a reduction in troop size, among other measures.

Briefing President Roh Moo-hyun on his ministry’s policy programs, Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung said the ministry will submit a bill aimed at legislating military reform methods to the National Assembly by October, after finalizing detailed measures until August.

``We will benchmark France’s reform measures, as part of efforts to pursue military reform on a coherent basis within the legal framework,’’ Yoon said, noting that previous military reforms have often failed with a change of government.

``But the measures will be implemented carefully in accordance with the security circumstances surrounding the Korean Peninsula,’’ he said.

The number of civilian posts in the ministry will increase on a gradual basis, as part of efforts to reform the Army-dominated military, Yoon said. Army officers and officer-turned-civil servants have dominated most of the top posts at the ministry.

Other reform measures include ones to strengthen the role of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and balance the number of troops for the Army, Navy and Air Force to enhance balanced development of the country’s military.

The envisaged plan will also require an increase in the defense budget to 2.7 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) within the remaining term of the Roh Moo-hyun administration to ensure self-reliant deterrence capabilities against North Korea, ministry officials said.

To improve the military’s promotion system, the ministry will set up a task force comprised of representatives from civic groups and experts to prevent military chiefs from holding sway over their authorities in promotion procedures, they said. The task force will operate from the second half of this year.

The minister stressed the plan does not mean the country is following France’s reform methods in detail, saying, `` We have a different security situation from France’s.’’

Roh reaffirmed his support for the plan, calling on the ministry to present a blueprint for military reform, presidential spokesman Kim Man-soo said in a media briefing.

``Military reform should be implemented within the legal framework based on national consensus and in a predictable manner,’’ Roh was quoted as saying.

Critics say, however, the reform plan should be implemented in a measured and careful way with enough discussions on it.

``The National Assembly will carefully review the ministry’s plan once it is submitted,’’ said Rep. Park Jin of the main opposition Grand National Party said. ``Hasty reform could bring about many problems.’’

Last December, Roh stressed the need to build a legal ground to carry out military reform in a coherent way, after his trip to France.

In 1997, France launched a three-phased military reform plan, which calls for transforming its military into one to get involved in international conflicts and disputes from its traditional role of territorial defense.

Under the eight-year plan, France seeks to downsize the country’s troop size to 430,000 from the current 570,000 and integrate the current 160 military bases into 88.

The plan also calls for an increased defense budget to build high-tech military capabilities and improve troops’ mobility to offset the troop cut.

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr