Minister Ahn Gyu-baek, who is set to step down, again denied on the 31st allegations that he left his post and deserted.
At a full meeting of the National Defense Committee at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the day, the Minister said, "After I took the physical examination, I would have been exempt after three years, but I thought I should at least enlist," adding, "About a month before the three years were up, I changed my address one last time and entered basic training. I went in on my own two feet."
He said, "My constituency is inside the four great gates in Seoul, and it is not a local border area," adding, "The defense committee is not a committee where milk and honey flow, so with what mindset would I have worked consistently for more than 20 years? If I step down, there will be an opportunity to follow several procedures and explain in detail."
The Minister also shared his thoughts on finishing his term as the first Minister of National Defense under the Lee Jae-myung administration. He said, "Every day was painful in a time of confusion," adding, "From the very launch, even if I had to step down the next day, I spent each day with the single-minded resolve to love and support the military, and already 1 year and 2 months have passed."
Although the Minister became the first civilian in 64 years to be appointed Minister of National Defense, he is stepping down after President Lee Jae-myung the previous day named Kang Shin-chul, ambassador to Saudi Arabia (former deputy commander of the Combined Forces Command), as the nominee for the new Minister.
The Minister pushed tasks such as integrating the service academies and transferring wartime operational control, but he has faced attacks from the opposition over allegations including leaving his post during his service as a short-term conscript (homeland defense soldier).
Appearing at the Special Committee on Budget & Accounts' subcommittee review for non-economic ministries at the National Assembly that day, the Minister avoided answering independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon's question, "Have you ever been sent to the guardhouse for any reason?" by saying, "It is difficult to speak now because investigative authorities are conducting an investigation."
To repeated questions of "Have you ever left your military duties?" and "Is there any fact that the military or a public institution misunderstood you as having left your military duties?" the Minister first answered, "No." As the same question was repeated, he said, "It will be revealed soon," adding, "I expect it will be revealed soon after I step down as Minister."