[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Candidates for Defense Minister in the Yoon Government

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] With the inauguration of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration scheduled for next month, attention is focusing on who will become the new Minister of National Defense as a cabinet appointment is expected soon.

There is also an assessment that just because someone worked with President-elect Yoon in the election camp or transition team before the presidential election does not guarantee a nomination as Minister of National Defense, making it difficult for military insiders to narrow down the list of candidates. In particular, the first Minister of National Defense must respond to any additional large-scale provocations from North Korea and have a deep understanding of the K-defense industry, leading the transition team to take a cautious approach.

On the 4th, Jang Je-won, the chief secretary to the President-elect, told reporters in front of the transition team office in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, "Due to the backlog in verification, it will be difficult to announce the cabinet in the first half of this week," adding, "We will decide whether to announce the foreign affairs and economic teams together or separately once the verification results come out."

The top candidate among those mentioned is undoubtedly Kim Yong-hyun, deputy head of the Blue House relocation task force (Korea Military Academy class 38). However, as he is in charge of relocating the presidential office to Yongsan, he is strongly mentioned as a potential head of the Presidential Security Service. Kim, the former headquarters chief, is known to be one year senior to President-elect Yoon at Chung-Ang High School. However, in political circles, questions may be raised about whether he is suitable for the security chief position due to the North Korean drone incident in 2014 during his tenure as commander of the Capital Defense Command, when the air defense network, including over the Blue House, was breached.

The next candidate is Lee Jong-seop, former deputy chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (KMA class 40), who was appointed as a defense sector transition committee member. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Tennessee and has served as the head of the wartime operational control (OPCON) transition task force and handled combined defense affairs between South Korea and the U.S. President-elect Yoon plans to strengthen military cooperation first, judging that the alliance weakened during the five years of the Moon Jae-in administration, making Lee a strong candidate for defense minister or first deputy director of the National Security Office at the Blue House.

Kim Yong-woo, former Army Chief of Staff (KMA class 39), is also mentioned. During his tenure as Army Chief, he promoted the 'five game changers,' including drone bots and the Warrior platform, raising the Army to a new level. He is praised for presenting a clear vision for the modernization of the South Korean military.

However, in 2020, as chairman of the DX KOREA defense exhibition organized by the Army Association, Kim faced negative perceptions from defense companies. The incumbent Army Chief of Staff concurrently serves as vice president of the Army Association and chairman of the DX KOREA organizing committee. At that time, Kim led the event alongside Park Chun-jong, president of DX KOREA Co., Ltd., which hosted the exhibition.

During the event, there was criticism that the defense exhibition was privatized after the organizers consistently denied responsibility for an accidental firing at the 'Hyeongung' infantry mid-range guided missile firing range and COVID-19 infections among participating Army personnel.

Politicians are also being considered. Shin Won-sik, a member of the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee from the People Power Party (KMA class 37), is mentioned. Shin is recognized as a skilled figure in defense and security, having served as commander of the Capital Defense Command, chief of operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and deputy chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Baek Seung-joo, former Liberty Korea Party lawmaker and former deputy defense minister, is also mentioned but faced criticism from defense companies for aggressively pushing the 'Korea Smart Defense ICT Industry Expo' (DIEX) in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, during his time as a lawmaker. Notably, the President-elect’s camp is reluctant to appoint politicians to cabinet positions, which could be a variable factor.

Other names in the running include Ryu Je-seung, former director of the Defense Policy Office at the Ministry of National Defense (KMA class 35); former deputy commanders of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command Im Ho-young and Choi Byung-hyuk; former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairmen Lee Soon-jin and Park Han-ki; and former Marine Corps commander Lee Seung-do. Ryu, a scholar who was the first in Korea to translate Clausewitz’s On War (German edition), is known to be the only reserve officer participating as a speechwriter for the presidential inauguration committee.