Military Figure Named Defense Minister After 1 Year of Civilian Leadership; Pro-Ruling Coalition Politicians Also Appointed

[Anchor]

President Lee Jae-myung has also carried out a reshuffle, replacing the civilian defense minister with a former four-star general. Notable figures outside the core pro-Lee Jae-myung faction, such as former South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyung-soo—widely regarded as a leading pro-Moon Jae-in figure—as well as Basic Income Party Lawmaker Yong Hye-in and Rebuilding Korea Party Lawmaker Lee Hae-min, were also appointed to key positions.

Reporter Kim Hye-young has the details.

[Reporter]

The first civilian defense minister in 64 years is set to be replaced after a little over a year in office, with Kang Shin-chul, Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and a graduate of the 46th class of the Korea Military Academy who previously served as the Joint Chiefs of Staff Director of Operations and Deputy Commander of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command, nominated as his successor.

This is interpreted as an effort to secure implementation momentum by entrusting the reforms to an orthodox military figure recognized as an expert in operations and strategy, as the "integrated military academy reform" pursued by current Minister Ahn Gyu-back faced backlash from the general alumni associations of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as offensives from the conservative opposition.

Nominee Kang Shin-chul is notably recognized for his experience working alongside USFK Commander Brunson, which is also seen as a strategic move to stably manage pending South Korea-U.S. alliance issues, such as the wartime operational control (OPCON) transition.

[Kang Hoon-sik / Chief of Staff to the President: We expect him to boldly and swiftly pave new paths for national defense innovation, including the integration of military academies.]

President Lee Jae-myung's appointment of former South Gyeongsang Governor Kim Kyung-soo, a prominent pro-Moon figure, as Special Presidential Advisor for Political Affairs has also drawn attention.

[Kang Hoon-sik / Chief of Staff to the President: We expect him to serve as a solid bridge connecting diverse voices from the National Assembly and local regions to state affairs, fostering national unity and stable governance.]

Basic Income Party Lawmaker Yong Hye-in was nominated as Minister of Gender Equality and Family, and Rebuilding Korea Party Lawmaker Lee Hae-min was chosen as Senior Presidential Secretary for AI Future Planning. These appointments of non-core pro-Lee figures within the Democratic Party and figures from the wider pro-ruling coalition outside the party are interpreted as an intention to reduce internal conflicts within the pan-ruling camp and broaden the scope of governance.

Meanwhile, Lee Won-joo, Director-General for Energy Transition Policy at the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, was appointed as Presidential Advisor for Mega-Projects, and Ha Jung-woo, former Presidential AI Secretary, was appointed as Vice Chairman of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Committee.

(Video by Ha Ryung | Video Editing by Oh Young-taek | Design by Hwang Se-yeon)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.