The criticism came at a forum on international security and changing patterns of warfare held at the National Assembly in Seoul and hosted by Rep. Han Ki-ho, a four-term lawmaker of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) who is also the former chairman of the National Assembly's defense committee and retired three-star army general.
Han used the forum to argue that the Lee Jae Myung administration's defense policies undermining South Korea's military preparedness.
The forum took place shortly after the government announced plans to dissolve the DCC and redistribute its functions among multiple organizations. Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said the proposed reform is intended to prevent excessive concentration of power following the command's alleged role during disgraced former President's Dec. 3 declaration of martial law in 2024.
Han sharply criticized the government's plan to integrate military academies and relocate the Korea Military Academy from Seoul to Jangseong in South Jeolla Province.
"The ultimate goal of the Lee administration is not to integrate military academies but to eliminate them," Han claimed. "If the Korea Military Academy is moved from Seoul to Jangseong, who would apply?"
He argued that integrating the academies would amount to "completely overturning" the military system and warned that the government was pursuing a broader ideological transformation of the armed forces.
Han said South Koreans had become accustomed to peace after decades without war on the Korean Peninsula. "The current government takes peace for granted," he said, arguing that peace has been maintained through public resolve and the U.S.-South Korea alliance.
Han also criticized ongoing discussions about transferring wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington to Seoul, saying a future conservative government would scrap the transition altogether.
Tak Sung-han, a research fellow at Hanyang University's Institute for National Strategy, warned that future conflicts would increasingly depend on artificial intelligence, drones and robotic systems, making stable energy supplies a critical component of military power.
"Securing sufficient and stable military power will be essential for national security," Tak said, arguing that electricity would become a decisive strategic resource as AI-enabled weapons systems proliferate.
Tak described chronic energy shortages as one of North Korea's greatest structural weaknesses. He said North Korean electricity generation remains below 1990 levels and that the country's heavy dependence on hydropower leaves it vulnerable to seasonal fluctuations.
"Electricity shortages are the North's biggest weakness across its economy, military and regime," Tak said.
He argued that South Korea's greatest danger would come during the opening phase of any future conflict with North Korea. "If war breaks out, the greatest security crisis for South Korea will emerge in the initial stage of the conflict," Tak said.
Because South Korea is a democratic society, he said, it would face greater challenges than North Korea in rapidly transitioning to a wartime footing. As a result, improving survivability and resilience during the early stages of war should become a national priority.
Tak called for accelerated military modernization through advanced technologies, enhanced surveillance of North Korean military activities and stronger coordination with the U.S.
"We must prepare for the possibility of a broader international conflict by strengthening the alliance with the U.S. while managing relations with China, Russia and Japan," he said.
Another speaker, Park Yong-han of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, focused on the strategic consequences of intensifying U.S.-China competition and expanding cooperation among North Korea, China and Russia.
Park said rivalry between Washington and Beijing was increasingly extending beyond military affairs into technology, economics and supply chains, creating new sources of instability throughout the Indo-Pacific region.
"The possibility of worsening instability in the Indo-Pacific is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid," Park said.
He warned that intensifying strategic competition could accelerate military buildups, deepen bloc politics and increase the risk of crises around Taiwan.
Park also pointed to growing trilateral cooperation among North Korea, China and Russia since 2022, including diplomatic coordination, military exchanges and economic cooperation.
"North Korea, China and Russia are pursuing different interests, but they have found common ground in responding to the changing international environment," he said.
Still, Park argued that the partnership faces significant constraints because of historical mistrust and differing strategic priorities.
Regarding OPCON transfer, Park described the issue as one of the most important challenges facing the alliance. "Strengthening South Korea's independent capabilities and maintaining alliance effectiveness must be pursued simultaneously," he said.
Park said Seoul should continue strengthening its surveillance and reconnaissance assets, missile defense systems and strategic command structure while maintaining close coordination with Washington.
"The core of South Korea's security lies in developing the alliance and self-reliant defense in a complementary manner," he said.
Rep. Na Kyung-won said the administration was moving "backward" on defense and alliance issues. "When you look at whether Lee is moving in the right direction, everything is going backward," Na said.
"It even runs counter to the fundamental values of the alliance."
She also criticized what she described as an attempt to abolish a military drone unit before reversing course. "We are a powerless opposition party, but we will closely watch the Defense Ministry under the Lee Jae Myung government," she said.
Rep. Han Dong-hoon said the government was projecting overconfidence in security affairs.
"[Lee] is engaging in a kind of bluff while making neighboring countries uneasy," Han said. "You can bluff in other areas, but you cannot bluff in national defense and security."
Rep. Sung Il-jong expressed concerns that policies to dismantle the military academy system and an unrealistic, premature wartime operational control transfer could weaken the alliance with the U.S.
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