Chairman Park Jimin of EG and Military Academy Classmate
Active Lawmaker Specialized in Defense Policy Planning and Strategy
On the 13th, Shin Won-sik (65), a member of the People Power Party nominated as the Minister of National Defense candidate, is regarded as a defense policy planner and strategist with expertise in defense policy and strategy.
He hails from Geoje, Gyeongnam, and entered the military as the 37th class of the Korea Military Academy. He is three classes senior to Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop and one class senior to Kim Yong-hyun, the head of the Security Office. He has served as the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Operations Division Chief (Colonel), Korea Military Academy Cadet Commander (Brigadier General), Commander of the 3rd Infantry Division (Major General), and Policy Planning Officer at the Ministry of National Defense during the Lee Myung-bak administration (Major General).
Later, from 2012 to 2013, he served as the Army Capital Defense Command Commander (Lieutenant General), from 2013 to 2015 as the Joint Chiefs of Staff Operations Headquarters Chief (Lieutenant General), and in 2015 as the Joint Chiefs of Staff Deputy Chief (Lieutenant General), retiring as a lieutenant general during the Park Geun-hye administration.
He maintained his position as a leading figure of the 37th class of the Korea Military Academy and was prioritized for promotion to general but faced setbacks. It has been interpreted that his classmate relationship with Park Ji-man, chairman of EG and brother of then-President Park Geun-hye, influenced this outcome.
During the Moon Jae-in administration, he strongly criticized the government's North Korea policy and military/security policies at conservative forums. He entered politics as number 8 on the Future Korea Party's proportional representation list in the 21st general election.
After entering the National Assembly, he demonstrated his expertise by serving as chairman of the party's 'Cheonan Ship Crew and Bereaved Families Support Task Force' and, following the inauguration of the Yoon Seok-youl government, has delivered messages leading issues in diplomacy, security, and defense within the ruling party. A notable example is his evaluation of the 'Washington Declaration,' adopted at the US-Korea summit during President Yoon's visit to the US in April, as the 'Second US-Korea Mutual Defense Treaty.'
Since June last year, as the ruling party's secretary of the National Defense Committee in the National Assembly, he has played both 'attacker' and 'defender' roles against the major opposition party. Recently, he has actively voiced opinions on investigations into the alleged insubordination of the former Marine Corps investigation unit commander related to the death of Corporal Chae, as well as the issue of relocating General Hong Beom-do's bust within the Korea Military Academy.
▲ Geoje, Gyeongnam (65) ▲ Busan Dongseong High School ▲ Korea Military Academy 37th class ▲ Ph.D. in Business Administration from Kookmin University ▲ Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Operations Division Chief (Colonel) ▲ Korea Military Academy Cadet Commander (Brigadier General) ▲ Ministry of National Defense Policy Planning Officer ▲ Capital Defense Command Commander (Lieutenant General) ▲ Joint Chiefs of Staff Operations Headquarters Chief (Lieutenant General) ▲ Joint Chiefs of Staff Deputy Chief (Lieutenant General) ▲ Research Professor at Korea University ▲ 21st National Assembly Member ▲ Secretary of the National Defense Committee in the National Assembly ▲ Chairman of the People Power Party’s 4th Policy Coordination Committee (Foreign Affairs, Defense, Intelligence)
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