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New JCS chairman vows strong military against 'complex' threats

Published: 30 Sep. 2025, 18:17 Updated: 02 Oct. 2025, 14:31

Gen. Jin Yong-sung, the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks at his inauguration ceremony in Seoul on Sept. 30, 2025. [YONHAP]

Gen. Jin Yong-sung took office Tuesday as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and vowed to build a strong military in the face of what he called “complex” security threats.

Jin was appointed to lead the JCS in the first major reshuffle of top-brass military officials following former ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law bid in December.

The new chairman noted that South Korea faces an array of internal and external security challenges, such as North Korea's continued development of nuclear, missile and conventional weapons, uncertainty in the international order and a decline in troop resources.

"I will fully prepare a military readiness posture that can prevail against complex security threats,” Jin said in his inauguration ceremony, vowing to maintain strong deterrence across all areas while supporting efforts to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The top military officer also pledged to seek full-fledged military cooperation based on national interest and pragmatism.

Jin underscored the importance of focusing on the military's core duty of protecting the people while adhering to political neutrality, saying his priority lies in restoring public trust in the military.

His remarks came amid calls for defense reform following the military's involvement in last year's short-lived martial law imposition.

Gen. Jin Yong-sung, left, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, center and retiring Adm. Kim Myung-soo attend a ceremony marking Jin's inauguration as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul on Sept. 30, 2025. [YONHAP]

“I will strive to [fulfill] the role of the JCS chairman so that the military becomes one that is trusted, can win in a fight and prepares for the future,” the top military officer said.

He also called for sharpening the military's capabilities for the envisioned handover of wartime operational control (Opcon) to South Korea from the United States and preparing for future warfare.

“Under a steadfast South Korea-U. S. alliance, I will lead a systemic transition of wartime Opcon through the acquisition of core military capabilities and a combined and joint operation system for a South Korean military-led combined defense,” Jin said.

His remarks came as the Lee Jae Myung government has pledged to seek a conditions-based transition of Opcon to Seoul from Washington during Lee's five-year term.

Jin, who served as the inaugural chief of the Strategic Command, is the first Air Force officer to take the helm of the JCS in five years since Gen. Won In-choul.

He succeeds retiring Adm. Kim Myung-soo.

Yonhap