Lee Ingu, Career Civil Servant, Appointed as Director of Personnel Planning at Defense Ministry: "Advancing Substantive Civilianization"

Director of Personnel Planning, Traditionally Held by Retired Generals
"Ensuring the Principle of Civilian Control over the Military"

Lee Ingu, a career civil servant, has been appointed as the Director of Personnel Planning at the Ministry of National Defense, a position traditionally held by retired generals.

The Ministry of National Defense announced on July 28 that Lee Ingu, who previously served as the Director of Military Facilities Planning, was appointed as the Director of Personnel Planning as of July 26. The new director is a career civil servant who began his public service in 2002 after passing the 37th National Technical Examination for Grade 5 officials.

Since entering public service, the new director has held several key positions within the Ministry of National Defense, including Director of Military Facilities Planning, Deputy Director of the USFK Base Relocation Project Group, Director of Operations Support, Director of Personnel Policy, and Director of Facility System Technology.

Regarding this appointment, the Ministry of National Defense stated, "The new director is an expert in personnel and human resources, having served as Director of Operations Support, responsible for personnel management at the ministry headquarters, and as Director of Personnel Policy, responsible for formulating defense manpower policies. He is considered the right person to carry out the duties of Director of Personnel Planning without disruption, as he must foster an advanced and trusted military while preparing for a decrease in future manpower resources."

The position of Director of Personnel Planning at the Ministry of National Defense has traditionally been filled by retired generals. The previous director, Oh Youngdae, was also a retired brigadier general. The appointment is seen as reflecting the emphasis on breaking from the legacy of the 12·3 Martial Law and upholding the principle of civilian control, a stance consistently advocated by Minister Ahn Kyubaek, who became the first civilian Minister of National Defense in 64 years.

The Ministry of National Defense stated, "By appointing a career civil servant to the position of Director of Personnel Planning, which has been held by retired generals, we aim to advance the substantive civilianization of key positions within the ministry and ensure the principle of civilian control over the military."