Jin Youngseung Appointed as First Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff under Lee Administration... All Seven Active Four-Star Generals Replaced

Air Force’s Jin Youngseung Nominated as Top Military Officer
Kim Kyuha from Korea Military Academy 47th Class Named Army Chief of Staff

The first round of appointments for top military leadership has taken place since the inauguration of the Lee Jaemyung administration. Jin Youngseung, Commander of the Strategic Command (Air Force Lieutenant General, Korea Air Force Academy 39th class), has been nominated as the new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest-ranking position in the military. All seven active-duty generals have been excluded, resulting in a sweeping reshuffle of the military leadership.

On September 1, the government announced its plan to promote and assign Commander Jin as the new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Jin is expected to assume the position after the State Council’s resolution and a parliamentary confirmation hearing on September 2, followed by his appointment by President Lee Jaemyung, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

Ministry of National Defense, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang

Jin, a graduate of the 39th class of the Korea Air Force Academy, is an expert in joint operations and force development. He has held key posts including Director of Force Planning Division 2 at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Chief of Information Planning at the Air Force Headquarters, Commander of Air Combat Command, Chief of Planning and Management at the Air Force Headquarters, Director of Strategic Planning at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Commander of the Strategic Command.

This marks the first time in five years that an Air Force officer has been nominated as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, following former Chairman Won Inchul in 2020. Regarding Jin's nomination, the Ministry of National Defense explained, "Based on his expertise in current and joint operations, force planning, and defense capability improvement, he is the optimal candidate to establish a perfect state of combat readiness both in peacetime and wartime as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff."

Kim Kyuha, Commander of the Missile Strategy Command (Army Lieutenant General, Korea Military Academy 47th class), will be promoted and appointed as Army Chief of Staff. Kim, a graduate of the 47th class of the Korea Military Academy, is an expert in defense strategy and joint firepower, having served as Commander of the Missile Strategy Command, Deputy Commander of the Ground Operations Command, Commander of the Capital Defense Command, Director of Strategic Planning at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Commander of the 52nd Division, and Chief Secretary at the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

However, since Army Chief of Staff Park Ansu is currently on leave from duty due to indictment over alleged involvement in the 12·3 Martial Law, Kim will serve as Acting Army Chief of Staff until Park’s term expires in October. A Ministry of National Defense official stated, "We will maintain the acting system until Park’s term ends in October, after which an inauguration and handover ceremony will be held."

Additionally, Kang Donggil, Director of Military Support at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Navy Lieutenant General, Korea Naval Academy 46th class), will be promoted and appointed as Navy Chief of Staff, while Son Seokrak, Commander of the Air Force Education and Training Command (Air Force Lieutenant General, Korea Air Force Academy 40th class), will be promoted and appointed as Air Force Chief of Staff. Kim Sungmin, Commander of the 5th Corps (Army Lieutenant General, Korea Military Academy 48th class), will be promoted and assigned as Deputy Commander of the Combined Forces Command. Ju Seongwoon, Commander of the 1st Corps (Army Lieutenant General, Korea Military Academy 48th class), will be promoted and assigned as Commander of the Ground Operations Command. Kim Hobok, Deputy Commander of the Ground Operations Command (Army Lieutenant General, Korea Third Military Academy 27th class), will be promoted and appointed as Commander of the 2nd Operations Command.

As a result, for the first time in about two years since 2023 during the Yoon Sukyeol administration, all seven four-star general positions will be filled by officers promoted from lieutenant general to general. Except for the nominee for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who is subject to a confirmation hearing, the remaining six appointees will assume their duties after being appointed by President Lee following the State Council’s resolution on September 2.

The Ministry of National Defense cited renewal and stability as the reasons for this round of appointments. A ministry official stated, "The key feature of this personnel reshuffle is the complete replacement of all generals to achieve renewal and organizational stability," adding, "Since there must not be any gaps in the military, we are working to ensure that subsequent appointments of generals can also be carried out as early as possible."