Defense minister calls for new paradigm in combat posture

South Korea's defense chief on Monday reaffirmed his push for a sweeping reform of the country's armed forces for a "new war paradigm."

   Inspecting the operation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), Defense Minister Song Young-moo cited grave security conditions on the peninsula.

"The current security situation on the Korean Peninsula is serious enough to be called 'the worst security crisis' since the (1950-53) Korean War," he told JCS service members.

The government is making various efforts to address the problem, he added, as his ministry proposed inter-Korean military talks later this week.

Song, formerly a Navy chief, stressed the importance of a strong military power to support such peace efforts and defense reform.

The Moon Jae-in administration's goal is to build "competent national security and robust national defense through reform," he pointed out.

"The core element of defense reform is to establish an operational plan and combat methods to meet a new war paradigm and modify the structure of the military and combat power," he said.

Song took office last week as Moon's first defense minister.