Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung on Monday appointed five-term lawmaker Ahn Gyu-back as defense minister, marking the first civilian to be nominated for the post since 1961. This historic appointment comes as part of Lee's selection for 11 Cabinet positions, which also includes former Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun as South Korea's top diplomat.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Ahn is a seasoned politician from the Democratic Party with extensive experience on the defense subcommittee of the National Assembly. If confirmed, he will be the first civilian defense minister since the military coup led by former President Park Chung-hee. Lee's chief of staff, Kang Hoon-sik, emphasized Ahn's deep understanding of military affairs due to his parliamentary career, which includes roles as secretary and chair of the defense subcommittee.
The military has faced scrutiny after the ousting of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who allegedly deployed troops to the National Assembly to block lawmakers during his brief imposition of martial law. Lee also nominated Chung Dong-young, a veteran Democratic Party lawmaker, for unification minister, responsible for inter-Korean affairs. Chung's previous experience as unification minister under the Roh Moo-hyun government highlights his commitment to peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Other notable appointments include Bae Kyung-hoon as minister for science and ICT, Kwon Oh-eul as minister for veterans affairs, and Han Seong-sook as head of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. The nominees, including incumbent Democratic Party lawmakers for various ministerial roles, are expected to be confirmed through parliamentary hearings, which are considered a formality since their appointments do not require the endorsement of the National Assembly.
Kang stated that the Cabinet selections are aligned with President Lee's pragmatic policy approach, focusing on effectiveness and delivering tangible results in diplomacy, climate change response, and developing Arctic shipping routes.