The government implemented personnel appointments for general officers below the rank of major general on January 9. This personnel appointment includes promotions and assignments for major generals and brigadier generals, promoting 41 individuals including Army Brigadier General Park Min-young, Navy Brigadier General Ko Seung-beom, Marine Brigadier General Park Sung-soon, and Air Force Brigadier General Kim Yong-jae to major general, assigning them to key combat unit commanders and staff positions at each military headquarters. Additionally, 77 individuals including Army Colonel Min Kyu-deok, Navy Colonel Park Gil-seon, Marine Colonel Hyun Woo-sik, and Air Force Colonel Kim Tae-hyun will be promoted to brigadier general and assigned to key positions.
This personnel appointment focuses on selecting outstanding individuals who can create a dedicated and mission-driven military based on loyalty to the constitution and the people. It considers the ability to proactively defend the Korean Peninsula amidst North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats and unstable international security conditions, aiming to achieve firm military readiness and future combat power development goals. The selection process emphasized diverse areas without regard to origin, branch, or specialty to identify ‘working talents’ who can contribute to rebuilding the people’s military.
As a result, the proportion of non-Korea Military Academy graduates among Army major general promotions increased from 20% to 41%, and among Army brigadier general promotions from 25% to 43%. The proportion of non-pilot specialties among Air Force brigadier general promotions expanded from 25% to 45%. Additionally, five female officers were promoted, the highest number since the first female general promotion in 2002, including one major general and four brigadier generals.
Key figures among the major general promotions include Army Major General Ye Min-cheol, an engineer branch officer, Air Force Major General Kim Heon-jung, a rear-seat fighter pilot, and Marine Major General Park Sung-soon, the first armored branch officer to be assigned as a division commander. Among the brigadier general promotions, Colonel Lee Chung-hee, the first warrant officer commissioned as an officer since the system’s introduction in 1996, Marine Colonel Park Jung-hoon, who investigated the death of Marine Chae Hae-byeong, and Colonel Kim Moon-sang, who served as the operations officer during martial law, were promoted. The military aims to cultivate the ‘elite smart strong military’ through these appointments, striving to earn trust and respect from the people and instill pride in the military.