[Profile] Five-Term Lawmaker Ahn Kyubaek Nominated as Defense Minister... First Civilian Since May 16 Coup

First Civilian Minister in 64 Years Since Hyun Seokho of the Second Republic
Former Army Reservist... Five-Term Lawmaker Mostly Active on the Defense Committee
"Deep Understanding of National Defense... Will Lead Military Reform"

On June 23, Ahn Kyubaek, a five-term lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea and a civilian, was nominated as the first Minister of National Defense in the Government of the Sovereign People. For more than 60 years since the May 16 Military Coup in 1961, the position of Minister of National Defense has been monopolized by military personnel, making this the first time a civilian has been nominated for the post.

In a briefing held in the afternoon, Kang Hunsik, Chief Presidential Secretary, announced the nomination of Ahn as the candidate for Minister of National Defense. If Ahn is appointed after a parliamentary confirmation hearing, he will become the first civilian Minister of National Defense in 64 years, since former Minister Hyun Seokho during the Second Republic (January to May 1961). Since the May 16 coup, all 39 Ministers of National Defense have been from the military.

Ahn Gyubaek, member of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Yoon Dongju doso7@

Kang explained the background of the appointment by saying, "Candidate Ahn has served as a secretary and chairman of the National Assembly's Defense Committee, with most of his five-term parliamentary career spent on the committee, giving him a deep understanding of the military. As the first civilian defense minister in 64 years, he will be responsible for leading and managing changes in the military, which was mobilized during martial law."

Born in 1961 in Gochang, North Jeolla Province, Ahn graduated from Seoseok High School in Gwangju and majored in philosophy at Sungkyunkwan University. In 1988, he entered politics as an official of the Peace Democratic Party. He later served as a party official in the New Democratic Alliance, the Democratic Party, the National Congress for New Politics, and the Millennium Democratic Party. In 2008, he entered the National Assembly as a proportional representative of the 18th National Assembly from the United Democratic Party and went on to serve five consecutive terms (18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd National Assembly). Within the party, he has held key positions, including Supreme Council member and Secretary-General.

Ahn, who served as an Army reservist, is considered a "security expert" for having spent most of his nearly 20-year legislative career on the National Assembly's Defense Committee, which is generally considered an unpopular standing committee. During his second term in the 19th National Assembly, he served as the opposition secretary of the Defense Committee in the first half of the term, and during his third term in the 20th National Assembly, he served as chairman of the Defense Committee in the latter half. Most recently, he chaired the National Assembly's Special Committee for the National Investigation into the Alleged Insurrection through the Declaration of Martial Law by the Yoon Sukyeol Administration (commonly known as the "Insurrection Special Committee"), leading the parliamentary investigation into the December 3 Martial Law.

When asked about concerns over whether Ahn, as a civilian, could effectively command the military organization, a presidential office official responded, "Considering that the previous Minister of National Defense, Kim Yonghyun, who was from the military, moved in line with martial law, we believe that Ahn, who has spent nearly 20 years on the Defense Committee, can lead military reform and provide a sense of stability to the people who have been hurt by martial law."

▲Born in 1961 in Gochang, North Jeolla Province ▲Graduated from Seoseok High School in Gwangju ▲Majored in philosophy at Sungkyunkwan University ▲18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd National Assembly member ▲Secretary of the National Assembly Defense Committee ▲Chairman of the National Assembly Defense Committee ▲Chairman of the National Assembly Insurrection Special Committee ▲Secretary-General of the Democratic Party of Korea