Defense minister nominee says to review inter-Korean military pact from scratch
Defense Minister nominee Ahn Gyu-back said Friday he will reconsider a now-scrapped military tension reduction agreement, if appointed, as part of efforts to seek peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Ahn, a five-term lawmaker, was tapped as President Lee Jae Myung's first defense minister earlier this month. He is the first civilian defense chief to be nominated in 64 years for the post that has been generally taken by retired military generals.
"I believe that dialogue is the most important," Ahn told reporters as he prepares for a parliamentary confirmation hearing.
"North Korea is our enemy yet our people. We need to deal with the North in a multitrack approach. The 2018 military pact should be reviewed from the starting point."
During his presidential campaign, Lee had said he will revive the now-suspended inter-Korean military tension reduction pact and ensure peace in the border area. South Korea fully suspended the agreement in June last year in response to the North's repeated launches of trash-carrying balloons.
Ahn, however, said he will consider various circumstances to seek the "most peaceful approach" rather than restoring the agreement immediately.
When asked about how he plans to respond to growing pressure to hike defense spending and speculations over Washington seeking "strategic flexibility" of US Forces Korea, Ahn said he will handle the issues based on the national interest.
"I believe we need to cope with such issues in a proactive and positive manner, rather than a passive manner. I will assess where our national interest lies and approach issues in such a proactive manner," Ahn said. (Yonhap)
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