Amid security concerns over a 73% cut in GOP troops, JCS pushes to establish Space Command and create an electronic warfare unit

[Financial News] Concerns about a security gap were raised during the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly’s audit, amid plans for a sharp reduction in frontline General Outpost (GOP) troops due to demographic changes and controversy over partial U.S. restrictions on intelligence sharing on North Korea. The ROK JCS said it would accelerate the transition to advanced surveillance systems to address weaknesses in aging surveillance equipment, while outlining plans to upgrade all-domain integrated operational capabilities, centered on establishing a Space Command and creating a dedicated electronic warfare unit in response to changes in the future battlefield environment.■ Plan to cut GOP troops by 73% comes under scrutiny amid fears of repeated false alarms from surveillance equipmentAt the National Assembly National Defense Committee’s audit of the ROK JCS on the 8th, Rep. Yoo Young-ha of the People Power Party warned of the risks of the military’s planned cuts to GOP troops and called for a full review. The military plans to reduce frontline GOP forces from around 22,000 at present to 6,000 by 2040—a cut of about 73%—and replace them with an AI-based system combining manned and unmanned capabilities.
However, according to data Rep. Yoo obtained from the Army Ground Operations Command, the number of false alarms from the intelligent border surveillance system in 2026 was about 2,200, more than double the roughly 1,100 recorded last year. Equipment defects and aging accounted for 41% of the false alarms. Rep. Yoo warned that cutting troops without thorough validation against North Korea, which has powerful electronic warfare capabilities, could cause the frontline surveillance network to collapse if control centers were neutralized in a contingency. He called for reliable replacement forces to be secured first.■ Controversy over partial U.S. restrictions on intelligence sharing on North Korea... JCS: “No impact on readiness”Controversy over partial U.S. restrictions on intelligence sharing on North Korea also came under scrutiny at the audit that day. The U.S. side was reported to have partially restricted the sharing of information, including technical details about satellite collection, in protest over remarks made this past March by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young concerning a uranium enrichment facility in Kusong, North Korea.
In response to questions from Rep. Yoo Yong-won of the People Power Party and others, JCS Chairman Jin Young-seung acknowledged that “some restrictions are indeed in place,” but stressed that “there is no problem sharing information on signs of a nuclear or missile launch or on launch trajectories, and our readiness is not affected.”■ Accelerating advanced “surveillance-detection-decision-strike” capabilities; changing potentially misleading term “terrain changes”The military plans to strengthen its initiative in frontline operations in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to overcome these domestic and external security uncertainties. The ROK JCS expects North Korea’s fortification work along its southern border to be completed in the second half of 2028. It will concentrate airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets along the frontline and accelerate the development of a comprehensive “surveillance-detection-decision-strike” system by transitioning to an AI-based GOP security operations system.
Regarding the recent landmine explosion in the DMZ, the military acknowledged some shortcomings in its surveillance process but described the on-site mine-clearing operation as a meaningful, fully successful operation that demonstrated the military’s resolve. It also accepted concerns that the term “terrain changes,” previously used to refer to areas suspected of containing mines laid by the North Korean military, could be misleading. The military will officially change the term to “areas suspected of containing planted mines” to clarify its vigilance against North Korea.
■Establishing Space Command and a dedicated electronic warfare unit; cementing plans for independent acquisition of a nuclear-powered submarine by 2035Plans have also taken shape to offset the limits of ground-based surveillance with independent operational capabilities across future domains: space, the deep sea and the electromagnetic spectrum. In response to a question from Rep. Kim Byung-joo of the Democratic Party of Korea, Jin said, “The military also recognizes the need for a Space Command and is preparing for it,” adding that it would thoroughly consider establishing a Space Strategic Command through a phased process. The military also plans to establish a dedicated electronic warfare unit within the ROK JCS by 2027 to counter North Korea’s radio-jamming provocations, and to build a government-military information-sharing system to respond to GPS jamming by June 2027, upgrading its all-domain integrated operational capabilities.
On the timeline for acquiring a nuclear-powered submarine, a future strategic asset, Jin agreed with the government’s proposed goal of “acquiring one within 10 years,” stressing that “it is possible to acquire one by 2035.” The development timelines of advanced countries in the past cannot be compared directly. The assessment is that, given the current pace of technological progress and changes in the environment, if plans for domestic construction, enactment of a special law and negotiations with the United States on the transfer of nuclear material proceed as planned, the Navy’s long-held aspiration can be achieved on time: fully countering in the deep sea the threat of North Korea building a submarine first.
[email protected] Lee Jong-yoon Reporter