[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Yoon Seok-yeol's First General Appointment... 'Revival of the Army Academy'

General Kim Seung-gyeom (59, Korea Military Academy Class 42), appointed as the new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] With the first general officer personnel reshuffle since the launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, the entire military leadership has been replaced. The large-scale reshuffle of the military leadership less than a month after the government’s inauguration is considered faster than in the past. This is interpreted as reflecting President Yoon Suk-yeol’s intention to promptly replace some military leaders who were embroiled in controversy over political appointments during the Moon Jae-in administration and to launch a new military leadership selected primarily based on capability as soon as possible.

The new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has been nominated as Kim Seung-gyeom (59, Army Academy Class 42), Deputy Commander of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command. Kim is set to assume the position after the Cabinet meeting’s approval on the 26th, followed by a National Assembly confirmation hearing, and then appointment by President Yoon, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

If Kim is appointed as the 43rd Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, it will mark the first time in nine years that an alumnus of the Korea Military Academy (KMA) has held the position. Along with the appointment of a KMA graduate as Chairman after nine years, this signals a ‘KMA revival’ and an emphasis on stability rather than a ‘radical seniority break’ amid North Korean nuclear and missile threats.

This is the first time in nine years that a KMA graduate has been appointed as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The last KMA graduate to hold the post was Jeong Seung-jo, the 37th Chairman, during the Lee Myung-bak administration from 2011 to 2013. Subsequently, during the Park Geun-hye administration, the position was held by Choi Yoon-hee (Naval Academy Class 31) and Lee Soon-jin (3rd Military Academy Class 14), and under the Moon Jae-in administration, by Jung Kyung-doo (Air Force Academy Class 30), Park Han-ki (ROTC Class 21), and Won In-chul (Air Force Academy Class 32).

Among the five Army general officer positions, excluding the 2nd Operational Command Commander, four have been filled by KMA graduates, clearly indicating a trend toward the revival of the KMA.

On this day, the government also carried out appointments for the Chiefs of Staff of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Park Jeong-hwan (56, KMA Class 44), Deputy Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was appointed Army Chief of Staff; Lee Jong-ho (57, Naval Academy Class 42), Director of Military Support at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was appointed Navy Chief of Staff; and Jeong Sang-hwa (58, Air Force Academy Class 36), Director of Strategic Planning at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was appointed Air Force Chief of Staff. All three Chiefs of Staff are from the same class year.

The replacement of the Navy Chief of Staff, who was appointed less than six months ago, and the Air Force Chief of Staff, who took office in July last year, appears to be aimed at balancing seniority. Accordingly, the current Navy Chief Kim Jeong-su and Air Force Chief Park In-ho were replaced before completing one year in office, serving approximately six months and eleven months respectively. The Navy Chief of Staff is being replaced in the shortest period in history. For this reason, some critics argue that the generals appointed during the previous Moon Jae-in administration were effectively ‘purged.’

Additionally, An Byeong-seok (55, KMA Class 45), Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, was appointed Deputy Commander of the Combined Forces Command; Jeon Dong-jin (KMA Class 45), Director of Operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was appointed Commander of the Ground Operations Command; Shin Hee-hyun (ROTC Class 27), Commander of the 3rd Corps, was appointed Commander of the 2nd Operational Command; and Major General Hwang Yu-seong was assigned as acting Commander of the Military Security Support Command.

Meanwhile, the government announced that the Commander of the Military Security Support Command will also be replaced during the four-star general reshuffle. Until the next lieutenant general-level personnel reshuffle, Major General Hwang Yu-seong will serve as acting commander. The current commander, Lieutenant General Lee Sang-cheol, will not retire with this reshuffle but is expected to be reassigned to a new post.

The Ministry of National Defense stated, "We prioritized capabilities and expertise that can systematically and substantively advance key defense policies such as establishing a robust defense posture, defense innovation, and improvement of defense culture."