Reformist Cultural Inertia and Prospects for Defense Innovation 4.0 in South Korea

• Published in: The Korean journal of defense analysis pp. 501 - 519
• Main Author: 김인수
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 한국국방연구원 01.12.2023
• Subjects: 정치외교학
• ISSN: 1016-3271; 1941-4641
• DOI: 10.22883/kjda.2023.35.4.001

The South Korean military has enthusiastically adopted the emerging science and technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to achieve technology-driven Defense Innovation. This study argues that technological development requires officers to be prepared to engage in inclusive behavior because it better fits the military need to integrate and coordinate the technical skills of all concerned to ensure operational effectiveness. A survey analysis of 3,018 South Korean Army officers who completed the Officer Basic Course indicates that the most recent Defense Innovation 4.0 has bright prospects for success for two reasons. First, three major socialization agents—peers, instructors, and mass media—have already transformed to support egalitarianism. Second, the two socialization mechanisms— compliance and internalization—statistically significantly increase inclusive behavior. Since transitioning to an egalitarian and inclusive military suitable for the high-tech army has begun, reversing this direction will not be easy, as cultural inertia theory suggests. KCI Citation Count: 0