On the 15th, new Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Jeong Bit-na briefed, stating, "Colonel Park Jeong-hoon (right), acting deputy head of the MND Investigation Headquarters, relieved 16 individuals suspected of involvement during the martial law period and took measures for them to be investigated by the Constitution Respect TF." Yonhap News · Social Media 

Jeong Bit-na (38, female), formerly of Yonhap News, has been appointed as the new spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND). 

This appointment is highly unconventional, as the position has typically been held by active-duty brigadier generals or retired colonels in their 50s. 

Furthermore, she is the third former journalist to hold this role, following Kim Min-seok from JoongAng Ilbo during the Lee Myung-bak administration and Choi Hyun-soo from 국민일보 during the Moon Jae-in administration. She is also the second female spokesperson and the first person in her 30s to be appointed to this position. 

Born in 1987, Spokesperson Jeong graduated from Yeongshin Girls' High School and earned a degree in Media and Public Relations from Seoul Women's University. She joined Yonhap News in 2011, working in the Korean Peninsula Desk (now the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Security Desk) and the International Desk, before covering the Ministry of National Defense from 2020 to 2022. 

In September 2022, she was appointed as the Brussels correspondent, covering the European Union (EU), NATO, and the Russia-Ukraine war until recently. 

The MND explained that the appointment of the new spokesperson is part of their efforts to civilianize the defense sector and overcome the December 3rd coup d'état situation. Spokesperson Jeong emphasized, "The role of the media is most important because there are so many false reports and distorted news," and added, "I will serve as a bridge to ensure accurate reporting." 

What is even more noteworthy are the briefing contents provided by the new spokesperson over two days. 

On the 16th, following her appointment on the 15th, Spokesperson Jeong's first briefing repeatedly referred to the December 3rd martial law as "illegal," presenting it as a fait accompli, before pointing out a false report that the MND Investigation Headquarters was involved in the practical aspects of arresting and monitoring politicians during that martial law period. 

The "MND Special Investigation Headquarters," launched on the 15th, stated that it would thoroughly examine cases transferred from the special prosecutor for the coup as well as cases it identified independently, and would directly investigate entities like the Defense Security Command, which require confidentiality. 

She further briefed, "Colonel Park Jeong-hoon, acting deputy head of the MND Investigation Headquarters, relieved 16 individuals suspected of involvement during the martial law period and took measures for them to be investigated by the Constitution Respect TF." 

It is noteworthy that Colonel Park Jeong-hoon, who was dismissed from his post on charges of defaming his superior and insubordination, is now leading key investigations in conjunction with the special prosecutor for the coup. 

In addition, the MND Prosecutor General's Office announced that it plans to indict a former Defense Security Commander on charges of leaking military secrets under the Military Criminal Act for divulging information about the budget and mission of a special unit of the Defense Security Command. The detention period for defendants indicted for significant roles in the coup by the military court is set to expire on the 4th of next month, and the military prosecutor's office plans to submit an opinion to the military court requesting the direct issuance of arrest warrants. 

The target of the second day's briefing is the Defense Counterintelligence Command. 

Regarding the state of emergency martial law, all lieutenant colonels and individuals of Grade 4 and above involved have been ordered to return to their previous positions or have their assignments transferred. The Defense Counterintelligence Command is undergoing personnel reforms by forcibly reassigning numerous unit members. It was revealed that recent "suitability evaluations" focused on individuals involved in the December 3rd illegal(?) state of emergency martial law, including their involvement in deploying to the National Assembly and the National Election Commission. 

Of these, the first evaluation targeted a total of approximately 400 individuals, with 181 identified as being involved in the state of emergency martial law. Lieutenant colonels and Grade 4 and above personnel were investigated regardless of their involvement in the martial law, and as a result, it was decided to remove 57 individuals from counterintelligence specializations and reassign them to their respective services. 

Among those ordered to return to their previous positions, 31 were involved in the state of emergency martial law, and this includes all 29 individuals of lieutenant colonel rank and Grade 4 and above who were involved in the martial law. 

For the 150 personnel below the rank of major who were involved in the state of emergency martial law and not included in the return-to-post group, mandatory reassignment of positions will be carried out. It was announced that all 181 Defense Counterintelligence Command personnel involved in the state of emergency martial law will either be returned to their previous positions or reassigned. 

This is not the end. The MND announced that, separate from these personnel actions within the Defense Counterintelligence Command, it plans to take strict measures through additional investigations, disciplinary actions, and prosecutions against those involved in the state of emergency martial law. 

Furthermore, it was declared that the "MND Special Investigation Headquarters" will soon receive investigation results regarding the "Psychological Warfare Group" from the "MND Investigation Headquarters" and commence full-scale investigations. 

The new spokesperson was the Yonhap News Brussels correspondent during the December 3rd martial law period and reported on Han Kang's Nobel Prize in Literature. She was at the forefront of distorted and propagandistic reporting, falsely framing and glorifying the historical distortions contained in Han Kang's novel. 

Behind her textbook statement that the media's role is important due to the prevalence of false reports and distortions, does she truly realize that there are media outlets that deceive the public with a great deal of false reporting and distorted facts? 

Will a 30-something woman who has suddenly achieved career success even dream that a minister, who cannot call North Korea an enemy in the reality of North-South division and is engrossed in a "coup mob mentality," is undermining the military's morale, degrading combat readiness, and engaging in acts of treason bordering on dissolution? 

A spokesperson is a key position that represents a group and officially conveys and explains its stance, policies, and information to the public and the media. 

I hope she realizes, before it is too late, that passively agreeing to and participating in the unjust decisions of a group without question can lead to outcomes that plunge South Korea into a quagmire. 

Columnist 

Lee Jong-heon, Columnist