President Moon, Unification Minister, and Security Line Reshuffle Imminent... Defense Minister Also Expected to Be Replaced, Army Side Favored
[Asia Economy reporters Ryu Jeong-min, Yang Nak-gyu, Son Seon-hee] President Moon Jae-in's 'security line' reshuffle has entered the countdown. The personnel blueprint is expected to change depending on the 'puzzle solving' surrounding the appointments of Seo Hoon, Director of the National Intelligence Service, and Im Jong-seok, former Presidential Chief of Staff. There is also a high possibility that Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo will be replaced.
The reason the reshuffle of the Moon Jae-in administration's security line has become the focus of attention is that the Blue House is reportedly conducting a personnel verification process for Lee In-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (former floor leader). Lee is considered a leading candidate for the vacant Minister of Unification position.
It had been only a matter of time to appoint a successor since former Minister of Unification Kim Yeon-chul tendered his resignation on the 17th of last month. Considering President Moon's commitment to the Korean Peninsula peace process, the emphasis has shifted from a 'management-type' to a 'breakthrough-type' minister, and Lee, who served as the ruling party's floor leader, has been evaluated as the most suitable to fulfill the role.
There are also expectations that Chung Eui-yong, Director of the Blue House National Security Office, will be replaced, with Seo Hoon and former Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok being mentioned as successors. If Director Seo moves to the National Security Office, there is a scenario where former Chief Im takes over as Director of the National Intelligence Service, but the parliamentary confirmation hearing is expected to be a variable.
With the Democratic Party leading the formation of standing committees in the National Assembly, the groundwork for the confirmation hearing process has been laid. The problem is that the chairperson position of the Intelligence Committee, which oversees the National Intelligence Service, remains vacant. If the Director of the National Intelligence Service is replaced, a confirmation hearing must be held, but the situation with the Intelligence Committee may cause scheduling disruptions. This means the confirmation hearing for the Director of the National Intelligence Service could be indefinitely delayed.
Considering President Moon's trust in former Chief Im, the prevailing view is that he will be assigned a role in some capacity. There is more emphasis on positions that allow immediate engagement in duties rather than those requiring confirmation hearings. This is the background for the growing possibility of replacing Director Chung of the National Security Office.
Park Sang-byeong, a visiting professor at Inha University Graduate School of Policy, said, "Considering that President Moon is at a stage where he must deliver government achievements, he will want to place the most trusted and reliable person at the forefront. Given President Moon's understanding of his governance philosophy and expertise in inter-Korean relations, attention inevitably falls on former Chief Im Jong-seok."
Meanwhile, regarding the replacement of the Defense Minister, the general view is that appointing a 'civilian minister' will be difficult this time. Since the Moon Jae-in administration began, there has been no Defense Minister from the Army, so there is interest in whether the Army will produce a minister this time.
As successors to Minister Jeong, Park Sam-deuk, Director of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs; Kim Yoo-geun, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office; and Kim Yong-woo, former Army Chief of Staff, are being mentioned. Inside and outside the military, many are paying attention to former Chief Kim Yong-woo, considering that the Defense Ministers since the current administration have been from the Navy (former Minister Song Young-moo) and the Air Force (Minister Jeong).
Seo Ju-seok, former Deputy Minister of Defense, who was mentioned as a civilian candidate, seems to be losing ground in the ministerial speculation as he applied for the public recruitment of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA) president. Four-term Democratic Party lawmaker Ahn Gyu-baek is also a subject of interest but is more focused on his role in the Yeouido political arena.
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