Reasons for Delays in Appointing Heads of Defense-Related Agencies [Yang Nakgyu's Defence Club]

Joining the Reserve General Candidates for Defense Agency Chiefs
Concerns Arise Over Former Presidential Campaign Personnel

Appointments of heads of government agencies related to national defense are being delayed. Amid rising military tensions between the South and the North, there are calls to expedite the appointments, along with analyses suggesting that there may be caution in appointing retired generals to key positions.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to government officials on the 18th, the term of the head of the Defense Technology Quality Institute under the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has already expired. The current director, Heo Geon-yeong, took office in April 2021 and has completed his three-year term. Internal candidates include Choi Jung-hwan, senior researcher, and Lee Chang-woo, head of the Defense Technology Quality Institute headquarters, while an external candidate mentioned is Shin Sang-beom, retired Army Major General (Korea Military Academy Class 41). Although the plan is to appoint a successor within this month, the atmosphere seems to exclude military personnel.

Controversy over qualifications regardless of experience in defense industry-related government agency heads

The reason for excluding military personnel is due to various criticisms about retired generals who have been appointed so far. In February this year, Seok Jong-geon (KMA Class 45) was appointed as the head of DAPA. This is the second time a military officer has been appointed as the head of DAPA. From the Lee Myung-bak administration’s 5th chief to Moon Jae-in administration’s 11th chief Kang Eun-ho, non-military senior bureaucrats were appointed. The 8th chief Jang Myung-jin during the Park Geun-hye administration was also a specialist scientist from the Agency for Defense Development (ADD). Chief Seok even canceled individual meetings with group owners of defense industry companies affiliated as subsidiaries in May.

Lee Geon-wan (Kongsa Class 32) also took office as the head of ADD in April this year, but expectations from the defense industry are not high. He served as the commander of the 11th Fighter Wing, commander of the Air Force Northern Combat Command, principal of the Air Force Academy, deputy chief of staff of the Air Force, and commander of the Air Force Operations Command. He has no experience in defense technology. However, he was a member of the Presidential Defense Innovation Committee, leading to evaluations that his appointment was a reward.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

With the resignation of former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop, the appointment of the ambassador to Australia remains vacant and delayed. Former Navy Chief of Staff Shim Seung-seop is a strong candidate, but the appointment is postponed. There is also an assessment that President Yoon Seok-yeol feels burdened as military personnel who participated in his presidential campaign have steadily entered the diplomatic field.

Military personnel from the presidential campaign appointed one after another in diplomatic posts

Kim Pan-gyu, former Navy Deputy Chief of Staff (retired Lieutenant General), appointed as ambassador to Nigeria, served as vice chairman of President Yoon’s presidential campaign ‘Future Defense Innovation 4.0 Special Committee.’ Ryu Je-seung, former director of the Defense Policy Office at the Ministry of National Defense (retired Lieutenant General), who participated as a writer for President Yoon’s inaugural address, was appointed ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. Lee Wang-geun, former Air Force Chief of Staff (retired General), who was involved in drafting defense pledges during the campaign, was appointed ambassador to Colombia, and Choi Byung-hyuk, former deputy commander of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command (retired General), was appointed ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Additionally, Shin Man-taek, former head of the Army Noncommissioned Officer Academy, was appointed ambassador to East Timor; Lee Seo-young, former defense attach? to the U.S., was appointed consul general in Honolulu; and Kim Jin-hyung, former Navy Logistics Command commander, was appointed ambassador to Fiji.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Korea Veterans Health Service has remained vacant for a year since Chairman Gam Sin stepped down in July last year. With the April 10 general election over, there are concerns that retired military personnel who lost in party primaries or the general election may be appointed. Former lawmaker Kim Ok-ui, who lost in the 19th general election, was appointed chairman of the Korea Veterans Health Service. Kim is a retired Army colonel who served as commander of the Army Women’s Corps.

Some agencies remain vacant for months... unable to decide appointments

The Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA) under the Ministry of National Defense has also had a vacancy in the director position for over three months since Kim Yoon-tae retired on February 7. Initially, the candidates were narrowed down to three: Kim Tae-woo, head of the Nuclear Security Research Office at the Korea Institute for Military Affairs (KIMA); Kim Hwang-rok, former head of the Defense Intelligence Headquarters (KMA Class 40, retired Lieutenant General); and Bae Dal-hyung, former deputy director of KIDA (KMA Class 40, retired Colonel). However, it is known that the atmosphere changed after the general election. The appointment was delayed because none of the three candidates were deemed ‘qualified’ as the new director. As a result, KIDA has effectively been without a head throughout the first half of this year. There are rumors that Kim Jeong-su, former superintendent of the Korea Military Academy (retired Army Lieutenant General), who is essentially military personnel, has been nominated. Kim was considered for the presidential office’s chief of civil society last year but was not selected.

Repeated parachute appointments at KAI earn ‘failing grade’ in management

The defense industry is no different. Kang Gu-young, president of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), is a representative case. Upon taking office, Kang immediately conducted a large-scale executive reshuffle. Within three months, about 20 executives were sent home. The vacancies were filled with former Air Force personnel and people from organizations he had been involved with. The retired Air Force personnel hired were investigated by the regional labor office over allegations of power abuse. After Kang’s appointment, KAI received an extremely low score in the integrated defense industry technology protection survey. Subsequently, an Indonesian employee was caught leaking data via a portable storage device (USB). Recently, a ‘jirashi’ (unverified information bulletin) detailing parachute appointments and management conditions within the company circulated in the defense industry.

A government official said, “Because people who were part of the presidential campaign are being appointed consecutively to agency heads regardless of their abilities, trust in the current administration’s policy execution is declining.”