In a major shift from military tradition, South Korea’s new president has appointed a civilian to lead the defence ministry the first such move in over 60 years.
President Lee Jae Myung has nominated Ahn Gyu Back, a seasoned liberal lawmaker serving his fifth term, to head the defence ministry. This marks a clear break from the longstanding pattern of selecting former military generals for the post.
Mr Ahn, a member of the ruling Democratic Party, has held roles on the National Assembly’s defence committee and also led a legislative probe into the failed martial law attempt by former president Yoon Suk Yeol.
This nomination follows ongoing trials of key former military officials, such as ex-defence minister Kim Yong Hyun, who are accused of involvement in the controversial martial law enforcement last December.
Although Mr Ahn will undergo a parliamentary confirmation hearing, his approval is largely expected as the Democratic Party holds a strong majority. Moreover, the president does not need formal legislative consent to finalize the appointment. Should the nomination proceed as planned, Ahn would become South Korea’s first civilian defence minister since a military coup in 1961 brought Park Chung Hee to power.
Since that coup, all defence ministers in South Korea have been drawn from military ranks, a pattern that persisted even after democratic reforms in the late 1980s.
“As the first civilian minister of defence in 64 years, he will be responsible for leading and overseeing the transformation of the military after its mobilisation in martial law,” Kang Hoon Sik, the president’s chief of staff, said, referring to Mr Ahn.
President Lee also announced Chung Dong Young, another lawmaker, as his nominee for unification minister, while Cho Hyun, South Korea’s former ambassador to the UN, has been tapped as the next foreign minister. Cho previously served as the key official for North Korea relations from 2004 to 2005.
Kim Young Hoon, a railway worker and past leader of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, has been selected as labour minister.
In total, President Lee unveiled 11 cabinet picks on Monday as part of efforts to build his administration. He assumed office earlier this month without the usual transition period after his predecessor, Mr Yoon, was removed from power for violating his constitutional responsibilities by declaring martial law.
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