(May 19, 2010) SEOUL, Korea– To prevent anything like the sinking of the Navy corvette Cheonan from happening again, South Korea needs to gain the edge over North Korea by securing enough submarines and naval bases for an appropriate military response, a U.S. defense analyst says.

Bruce Bennett of the hardline conservative RAND Corporation made the recommendation in a seminar on the handover of full troop control to Seoul hosted by the Council on Korea-U.S. Securities Studies at the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan, Seoul on Tuesday.

Bennet said South Korea currently has 1.6 million troops combining active-duty soldiers and reservists who can be mobilized to keep the peace if North Korea collapses. But after the 2020 military reforms, the number of soldiers on active service will be too small for such operations, so the country will need to secure a greater number of reservists.

On the issue of troop control transfer, Bennett said a separate military control system once the Combined Forces Command has been dismantled will be less effective in deterring North Korean attacks and very inefficient militarily. He urged South Korea and the U.S. to review the plans.

The Chosun Ilbo