The Fourth Defense Minister Under the Current Administration [Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club]

Frequent Defense Minister Personnel Changes Amid Severe Diplomatic and Security Situation
Unstable Personnel System Including Concurrent Minister Positions and Acting Roles

Former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun resigned in disgrace just three months after his appointment amid the emergency martial law scandal. He is the third Minister of National Defense to step down under the current administration. Following Kim's resignation, Deputy Minister of National Defense Kim Sun-ho will serve as acting minister until the new minister assumes office, marking the first time in the history of the armed forces that the Ministry of National Defense has operated under an acting minister system.

Lieutenant General Choi Byung-hyuk, Deputy Commander of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command, is delivering his farewell speech at the 'ROK-US Combined Forces Command Deputy Commander Change of Command Ceremony' held on the 23rd at the ROK-US Combined Forces Command in Yongsan, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

On the 5th, insiders in the military said, “During the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations, there were two Ministers of National Defense, and during the Moon Jae-in administration, there were three. It is uncertain how long the frequent changes of the defense chief will continue under the current government.”

The first minister of the current administration was former Minister Lee Jong-seop. Lee resigned in September 2023 after the opposition party held him accountable for alleged external pressure on the investigation into the death of Marine Corps Corporal Chae. Former Minister Shin Won-sik also stepped down less than a year after his appointment when Kim Yong-hyun, who had closely assisted President Yoon, was nominated as head of the Presidential Security Service. At the time, Shin concurrently served as acting National Security Office chief while holding the ministerial post until his successor was appointed, which sparked controversy.

Kim attracted attention as a three-star general appointed as minister. Although he held the key position of Operations Headquarters chief at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a post generally considered a guaranteed stepping stone for promotion, he did not advance from lieutenant general to general. After retiring, he served as an outside director and advisor at private companies and law firms. During the 2022 presidential election, he participated in Yoon Seok-youl’s campaign as head of the Defense and Security Support Headquarters, and following Yoon’s election, he was appointed head of the Presidential Security Service. While serving as head of the Security Service, he led the relocation of the presidential office to Yongsan and sparked controversy over excessive presidential security measures, including the so-called ‘mouth-covering’ incident.

Kim is part of the so-called ‘Chungam High School line,’ which is at the center of the martial law incident. He is one year senior to President Yoon at Chungam High School, Yoon’s alma mater. Kim was the one who proposed and led the declaration of martial law. During his tenure as head of the Presidential Security Service, Kim summoned Yeo In-hyung, commander of the Defense Counterintelligence Command; Lee Jin-woo, commander of the Capital Defense Command; and Kwak Jong-geun, commander of the Army Special Warfare Command, to his official residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, for meetings. Commander Yeo is also a Chungam High School alumnus. When the Martial Law Command was organized, the Joint Investigation Headquarters, responsible for martial law investigations, is typically headed by the Counterintelligence Command commander.

At his confirmation hearing in September, Kim answered “No” when asked by opposition lawmakers if he intended to recommend martial law to the president, adding, “Who among the people of the Republic of Korea would accept martial law under the current circumstances?” He also stated, “Honestly, our military probably would not comply with martial law. Martial law is not appropriate for this era,” and “So, there is no need to be overly concerned.” At the October military court audit, he said, “There is no practical benefit to declaring martial law in a National Assembly dominated by the opposition.” However, two months later, he reversed his stance by recommending martial law to the president.

Some speculate that disciplinary personnel changes may be made regarding Army Chief of Staff Park An-soo and commanders of units that sent troops to the National Assembly due to the martial law incident. Park, who served as martial law commander, dispatched Special Warfare Command and Capital Defense Command troops to the National Assembly immediately after President Yoon declared emergency martial law on the night of the 3rd.

An opposition party official said, “We plan to investigate those involved in the martial law incident, but there is no evidence that individuals included in last month’s general officer personnel changes were involved,” adding, “We need to focus on those from Chungam High School as well as those with direct command authority.”