Improvement Directions for Military Structure Reform Policy of the Lee JaeMyung Administration

Purpose: This article comprehensively diagnoses the changes in the defense environment confronting the Lee Jae-myung administration and proposes specific directions for a future-oriented military structure reform policy that should be pursued within its term. Method: This qualitative and empirical study involved comprehensively analyzing and evaluating the changes in the defense environment facing the Lee Jae-myung administration by reviewing relevant prior research, laws, directives, and press releases, and then specifically presenting the direction of military structure reform policy that should be pursued within its term. Results: The Administration's military structure reform policy can only achieve substantial enhancement of combat power and prepare for future warfare if three core reform tasks – optimization of military structure, transition of the Army's border surveillance mission, and rapid operationalization of Manned-Unmanned Team (MUM-T) systems – are pursued simultaneously as an integrated policy package. Conclusion: This study proposed specific and implementable policy directions for future-oriented military structure reform to be pursued within the administration's term. Further research is needed to address additional military structure reform tasks, such as the transition of wartime operational control, arising from changes in the defense environment and not covered in this article.