The collapse of our military discipline

Our entire military must learn lessons from the mistakes of the top officer before it’s too late.

The confirmation hearing on Wednesday for Adm. Kim Myung-soo, the nominee for the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), exposed the lax military discipline among the top brass. After being promoted to a four-star general last month, Kim, the three-star vice admiral and Naval Operations Commander, was directly named as head of the Armed Forces. Many military insiders regarded it as a drastic promotion. As he served in the JCS together with Defense Minister Shin Won-sik when Shin was commander of operations, Kim was deemed fit for the job as chairman of the JCS, particularly given the increasing role of naval operations today.

But it turned out that Kim had traded stocks, including through the Exchange Traded Funds (ETF), over the past two years while working at the JCS. Lawmakers of the National Defense Committee discovered that he had been engaged in stock trading on Jan. 5 and 17 last year, when military tensions were heightened by North Korea’s firing of ballistic missiles into the East Sea. He did the same on Sept. 12, when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was visiting Russia for a military deal.

The nominee was already criticized for playing golf last year when North Korea launched an ICBM and an SLBM. Despite the record of school bullying by his children 11 years ago, the government’s scrutinizing system solely relying on testimony by nominees didn’t work this time, either.

In the face of lawmakers’ attacks on his off-track behaviors, Kim apologized and promised to not repeat it. He said, “I just tried to understand the trading procedure, not make a profit.” In a volatile situation, military commanders should be alert 24/7 to brace for any possible provocations from North Korea. The fact that the admiral traded stocks on his smart phone while he was working only deepens public concerns about security.

It may not be only Kim who trades stocks during work. Even Rep. Yun Jae-ok, floor leader of the governing People Power Party, denounced him for engaging in totally inappropriate activities even though he was not in a position to deal with the North’s missile launches at the time.

It would be too much to expect our servicemen to do their utmost for all 365 days a year. They certainly need to rest and recharge. But Kim went too far by trading stocks on his phone even when North Korea fired multiple missiles. The public wants to see soldiers who are willing to sacrifice their lives to protect the country, not a general who tries to understand the mechanism of online stock trading. Our entire military must learn lessons from the mistakes of the top officer before it’s too late.