Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung has named five-term lawmaker Ahn Gyu-back as the new defense minister, marking the first nomination of a civilian to the post in 64 years, as announced by the presidential office on Monday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee's decision to appoint Ahn aligns with his campaign promise to reform the military, a commitment stemming from recent events involving the military's controversial role during the brief imposition of martial law last December. The previous president, Yoon Suk Yeol, deployed troops to the National Assembly, a move that led to his ousting in April.
Ahn, affiliated with the Democratic Party, has a substantial background on the defense subcommittee of the National Assembly. His confirmation would make him the first civilian defense minister since 1961, a significant shift since the military coup led by former President Park Chung-hee. "As the first civilian defense minister in 64 years, Ahn is expected to lead and oversee the transformation of the military that was mobilized during the martial law period," stated presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik during a press briefing.
In addition to Ahn's nomination, President Lee announced several appointments to his Cabinet. Former Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun was selected as the foreign minister, tasked with addressing diplomatic challenges such as tariff negotiations with the U.S. and Middle East affairs. Cho's experience includes serving as the South Korean ambassador to the United Nations and extensive work in multilateral diplomacy.
Further appointments include Chung Dong-young as unification minister, Bae Kyung-hoon as minister for science and ICT, and Kwon Oh-eul as minister for veterans affairs. Several Democratic Party lawmakers, including Rep. Kim Sung-whan, Rep. Kang Sun-woo, and Rep. Jun Jae-soo, were named to key ministerial roles in environment, gender equality, and oceans, respectively.
The Cabinet nominations also feature Han Seong-sook, former CEO of Naver Corp., for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and Kim Young-hoon, former head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, as labor minister. Notably, Song Mi-ryeong will continue her role as agriculture minister, a decision reflecting the government's pragmatic approach.
Yoon Chang-yul was appointed as the director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, with Kang emphasizing the nominees' potential to drive pragmatic and effective administration. The appointees are expected to focus on diplomacy, easing Korean Peninsula tensions, climate change, and Arctic shipping route development.
While parliamentary confirmation hearings are anticipated for the nominees, these are largely procedural as the appointments do not require the National Assembly's approval. In South Korea, only the prime minister position requires parliamentary consent.