심리전의 사례분석과 한국군의 심리전 발전방향

Abstract

Psychological warfare involves exploiting the opponent's psychology to secure one's own interests. Like rifles, field guns, and aircraft, psychological warfare is a weapon that harms the enemy while benefiting one's own forces, and it is often described as a weapon with high mobility and destructive power. For instance, starting on May 29, 2024, North Korea launched balloons containing tissue paper toward the South and caused GPS disruptions in key areas. In response, the Republic of Korea began broadcasting loudspeaker messages to the North, something North Korea fears, on July 19, 2024. Psychological warfare has been utilized in modern conflicts, such as the Korean War, which led to numerous casualties and saw psychological operations deployed in various ways. In the Iraq War, psychological warfare leveraged international public opinion and advanced scientific technologies. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has also witnessed psychological warfare conducted primarily through broadcasting and the Internet. This study analyzes these modern conflicts to derive the goals of psychological warfare and examines the responses elicited by specific stimuli given to the targets of such operations. Based on this analysis, the study outlines the characteristics of psychological warfare and proposes development directions for psychological warfare within the Korean military. The objective of this research is to provide insights into how the Korean military can enhance its future psychological warfare capabilities by analyzing historical and contemporary cases. Despite the recognized importance of psychological warfare, research in this field has been relatively inactive. It is hoped that this study will stimulate further research within the military and academic institutions, fostering a greater understanding of the significance of psychological warfare, particularly in relation to North Korea and surrounding nations.