Guest Editorial Board Member. ROTC Class of 1984 The foundation of the military, the last bastion of a nation, rests on 'principles' and 'trust.' However, since Minister Ahn Kyu-baek took office, our military has been witnessing that foundation being shaken to its core. When about 30 North Korean soldiers crossed the Military Demarcation Line in broad daylight, the troops on the ground immediately responded with warning shots to the provocateurs. Yet, the superiors remained silent for four days, and only after North Korea made loud accusations, did they reluctantly reduce the scale of the intrusion from 30 people to a few. This is a dangerous signal indicating political interference in the military, blocking security information. 

1. Lessons from Nations That Collapsed by Undermining Principles

Historically, when political power seized control of the military and dismantled its principles, nations have invariably walked the path to ruin. The Roman Empire, during its imperial era, saw its soldiers fall into self-interest and political ambition, fighting for the emperors they had installed, leading to their own downfall. In the late Qing Dynasty, Li Hongzhang's "Beiyang Army" degenerated into a private force loyal to individuals rather than the imperial court, leading to a feeble defeat in the Sino-Japanese War and marking the prelude to the empire's collapse.

Even if the military responds properly to the intrusion of 30 North Korean soldiers, political interference turns it into a delayed and downplayed incident. In the 'Samcheok Port Wooden Boat Defection Incident' on June 15, 2019, during the Moon Jae-in administration, when a North Korean wooden boat entered and docked at Samcheok Port on the East Coast without any obstruction, the National Security Office altered the military's initial report. Even immediate and decisive military responses to enemy provocations become a descent into a powerless play-soldier group when politicians intervene. 

When the military's judgment criteria shift from 'national security' to the 'regime's stance towards North Korea,' the enemy will inevitably exploit that loophole. It drives a wedge between the military and the public, fostering distrust, demoralizing frontline soldiers, and causing confusion. 

2. The Decisive Cause of South Vietnam's Fall: Internal Collapse Through Espionage

During the special prosecutor's investigation, top military secrets such as the location and specifications of the drone unit were leaked to the media in real-time. Despite this, the Minister of National Defense appeared to be passively watching, stating in a National Assembly response that it was a matter for the 'special prosecutor.' Furthermore, dangerous actions that undermine military discipline, such as the so-called 'insubordination manual' training that violates the basics of chain of command and military discipline, and the controversy over the disposal of 'soldier's library' books intended to control soldiers' thoughts, are reminiscent of South Vietnam's collapse.

South Vietnam collapsed from within, despite robust support from the US military and a modern weapons system. North Vietnam infiltrated numerous spies into key positions within the South Vietnamese military and government. A prime example is Pham Xuan An, a legendary North Vietnamese spy who operated disguised as a TIME magazine reporter. He was a close confidant of the South Vietnamese president and mingled with high-ranking generals, siphoning off top military intelligence and exposing our forces' positions to the enemy, leading to repeated military operation failures. Ultimately, the South Vietnamese military lost faith in its commanders and became suspicious of its colleagues, leading to its self-destruction.

3. Security Organizations Must Step Forward and Speak with Resolve.

The military is not a spoil of war for any regime. As history has proven, when the military becomes subservient to politics and trust within it erodes, it leads to downfall. The political figures must cease the partisan squabbles that shake the military and the military must return to its original form, looking only to the nation and its people.

Replacing a single minister will not resolve the issue of re-establishing a stable military and restoring combat readiness. Fundamental measures are needed to analyze the structural contradictions that make the military susceptible to political influence and to change the system itself. The current government, by defining the December 12th martial law as rebellion and using it as a basis for the 'State Affairs Planning Committee' to reshape and reorganize the military to their liking, is destabilizing the military to make it an 'organization incapable of waging war.' 

Security organizations must step forward to sternly rebuke the leakage of military secrets, the insubordination controversy, and the failure of military leadership to respond to major provocations. They must demand that military leadership carry out their duties based on the constitution and military laws, not at the behest of the regime. Security organizations must sense the security crisis and pressure the leaders of both parties to establish an 'independent military inspection agency' that is not subject to the Ministry of National Defense's command and control.

4. Emergency Measures to Overcome the Security Crisis 

The 'Joint Rules of Engagement,' the most crucial internal regulation enacted by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, must be strengthened. Procedures for exercising the right of self-defense should be specifically defined to ensure 'action first, report later' is automatically implemented under the judgment of field commanders in various contingencies such as MDL, NLL, airspace violations, and artillery provocations. The principles of proportionality and sufficiency must be detailed to allow field commanders to deter further provocations through their judgment. The 'automation of response,' which fundamentally blocks any room for political intervention in the current rules of engagement, must be supplemented by military self-enforcement decrees and educated to all service members. 

Comprehensive military preparedness measures utilizing AI and digital platforms must be devised. An AI tactical response team should be established to collect military provocation facts 24/7 from unarmed zone video and data, analyze and warn against policies that undermine military security in advance, and objectively evaluate the policy blunders of military leadership with AI, thus transitioning security from the 'dark' to the 'light.' 

AI-based mental education video materials should be developed, including broadcasts and discussions on the history of fallen nations like South Vietnam and Rome, the Korean War series, and humanities lectures by world scholars from institutions like Harvard and Yale. Service members' security awareness must be armed through mental education utilizing tools of civilization, ensuring they are not swayed by North Korea's psychological warfare or internal political agitation. 

The military, as the people's army, must remain unwavering against any political pressure and, in its constitutional capacity, must unite its internal ranks and become strong, thereby restoring the military principles and public trust undermined by politics.