The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Wednesday it has reduced staff and consolidated some of its operational divisions as part of a reorganization to prepare for the country's retaking of wartime command from the U.S. in 2015.
The reorganization, which cut 42 staff members, was also designed to improve the operational efficiency of the JCS following a series of North Korean provocations last year, including the deadly shelling of a South Korean island in November, JCS officials said.
"The reorganization, which became effective on Jan. 1, is aimed at making the JCS more efficient in taking back the wartime operational control (OPCON)," said a JCS official on condition of anonymity.
South Korea is scheduled to regain OPCON over its forces from the U.S. on Dec. 1, 2015. The original transfer date was April 17, 2012, but Seoul and Washington agreed last year to push back the schedule in a display of their strengthened alliance after North Korea's deadly torpedo attack on a South Korean warship.
The U.S. has held wartime command of the South Korean troops since the beginning of the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed here as a deterrent against the North.
The North's torpedo attack on the Cheonan warship killed 46 sailors. Pyongyang still denies any role in the incident.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have been more strained since November last year, when North Korea shelled the front-line island of Yeonpyeong, killing two marines and two civilians.
As part of the reorganization, Army Maj. Gen. Kim Hyun-gip was appointed to lead the headquarters of joint military operations at the JCS, replacing Navy R. Adm. Kim Kyung-shik.
The post, traditionally chosen from the Army, had been given to the two-star Navy officer in June last year after the sinking of the Cheonan in a bid to improve interoperability among military branches.
South Korea's 650,000-strong military is dominated by ground troops, with its sea and air defense supported by U.S. troops here. Critics say the Army's dominance in the South's military is one of major factors hindering its operability.
Asked why the JCS replaced the post, the JCS official said, "There have been many opinions that a general-grade Navy officer could have limitations in leading the headquarters in terms of interoperability."
Meanwhile, a division tasked with psychological warfare was brought back at the JCS, about two years after it was disbanded, in an apparent move to bolster anti-North Korean propaganda.
Since the March sinking of the Cheonan, the South's military has partially resumed its anti-North Korea propaganda campaign. Soon after the Nov. 23 bombardment on Yeonpyeong, the South's military started floating tens of thousands of leaflets denouncing the North's regime across the heavily armed border.
Seoul has also set up loudspeakers to blare anti-Pyongyang broadcasts along the border but has not yet used them. North Korea has warned that it would shoot them down if they are switched on.