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Korean government announces appointments of new four-star generals in military leadership

Published: 01 Sep. 2025, 16:23 Updated: 01 Sep. 2025, 19:53

Lt. Gen. Jin Yong-sung, tapped as the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

The Ministry of National Defense on Monday announced its first round of appointments for four-star generals since the beginning of the Lee Jae Myung administration, with all seven sitting four-star generals set to retire.

The government on Monday named seven new generals to key leadership roles, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the chiefs of staff for the Army, Navy and Air Force, and the deputy commander of the Korea-U. S. Combined Forces Command.

Lt. Gen. Jin Yong-sung, commander of the Korea Strategic Command and a graduate of the Korea Air Force Academy’s 49th class, was tapped to lead the JCS — the military's highest-ranking post.

For the Army, Lt. Gen. Kim Gyu-ha, head of the Missile Strategy Command and a Korea Military Academy graduate from the 47th class, was named chief of staff.

For the Navy, Vice Adm. Kang Dong-gil, head of the Military Support Directorate of the JCS and a 46th class graduate of the Korea Naval Academy, was named chief of staff.

For the Air Force, Lt. Gen. Son Seong-nak, head of the Air Force Education and Training Command and a graduate of the Air Force Academy’s 40th class, was named chief of staff.

For the Combined Forces Command, Maj. Gen. Kim Seong-min, commander of the Army’s Fifth Corps and a 48th class graduate of the Korea Military Academy, was named the next deputy commander.

Lt. Gen. Joo Seong-un, commander of the Army’s First Corps and also a 48th class graduate, was named to head the Ground Operations Command.

For the Second Operational Command, Maj. Gen. Kim Ho-bok, deputy commander of the Ground Operations Command and a 27th class graduate of the Korea Third Military Academy, will be promoted and appointed as the commander.

All appointments are expected to be finalized at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday and formally appointed by the president.

This reshuffle, which follows the appointment of Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back — the first civilian in 64 years to lead the ministry — is being interpreted as a sign of the Lee administration's commitment to military reform.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HONG JOO-JEE [[email protected]]