Face to Face: Can Koo Li-hsiung Control the Military? Initially Protected by Mei Chia-shu, the Civilian Defense Minister's Two-Year Strategy

On May 20, 2024, President Lai Qingde took office and appointed Koo Li-hsiung, former Secretary-General of the National Security Council during President Tsai Ing-wen's administration, as the new Minister of National Defense. Koo is the seventh civilian defense minister in the history of the Republic of China and the first with substantive significance since the implementation of the 'Two Defense Laws.' Traditionally, the military believed that 'only military personnel understand the military,' resulting in past defense ministers mostly being retired four-star generals who assumed the role in a civilian capacity. However, with increasingly close military exchanges between Taiwan and the United States, Koo has been deeply involved in U.S.-Taiwan affairs since his time at the National Security Council. He frequently held meetings with military generals, even on weekends, indicating that his relationship with the military is not as distant as outsiders might assume. Therefore, President Lai boldly appointed him. Now, after over two years in office, the critical question remains: can Koo effectively control the military?