You said you're okay with North Korea, but...Concerns over prolonged absence of defense ministers

[Anchor]
A week after Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who led the December 3 emergency martial law, resigned, the ministerial vacuum is showing signs of prolonging.The

military authorities say there is no problem with the readiness itself, but there is a lot of concern as the instability of the military leadership is growing amid a pile of security issues.

I'm reporter Park Hee-jae.

[Reporter]
The post has been vacant for more than a week since former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who led the emergency martial law, resigned.

Former Ambassador Choi Byung-hyuk, who was nominated as a successor, declined his position, and Han Ki-ho, a former three-star general and a member of the People's Power, also did not accept the proposal.

In fact, as the vacuum in the ministerial post, which leads the entire military, shows signs of prolonging, there are voices of concern centered on the ruling party.

[Kwon Seong-dong / People's Power Floor Leader: I don't think it's desirable to leave the head of security vacant for a long time for national security. And what North Korea will do in this chaotic situation]

In the meantime, schedules dealing with security issues have been disrupted one after another.

In fact, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's visit to Korea was also canceled shortly after martial law, and the "4th Korea-U.S. Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) Meeting," a strategic consultative body to cope with North Korea's nuclear weapons program, was postponed indefinitely.

With the next Trump administration expected to raise the issue of defense contributions, there are also concerns that the absence of a minister will limit strategic responses.

[Yang Wook / Asan Institute of Policy Research: We can make a judgment that SMA is approached through additional agreements, for example, rather than invalidating the amendment and signing a new agreement.]

[Yang Wook / Researcher at Asan Institute for Policy Studies] But it's very difficult to make this judgment with an agency system.]

There is also a lot of uncertainty about the commander-in-chief.

If the impeachment motion of the president is passed by the National Assembly, the acting prime minister will take over the authority of the head of the Armed Forces, and the possibility of reviewing the impeachment motion of the prime minister is raised.The

military authorities say that there is no problem with monitoring North Korea and responding to provocations even under the acting system, but some point out that the unexpected high-intensity threat will not leave a lot of judges.

I'm Park Heejae of YTN.