[Comprehensive] Won In-chul, Air Force Chief of Staff, Nominated as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

[Asia Economy Military Specialist Yang Nak-gyu] On the 31st, President Moon Jae-in appointed Air Force Chief of Staff Won In-chul as the new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Candidate Won, a graduate of the 32nd class of the Air Force Academy, is considered a 'class-breaking' appointment as he is one year senior to Seo Wook, the Minister of National Defense appointed on the 29th.

Candidate Won is recognized as a military expert with extensive experience and professional insight in various fields including operations, planning, force, and education. Commissioned in 1984, he has held key positions such as Secretary to the Air Force Headquarters, Commander of the 19th Fighter Wing, Director of Exercise and Training at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Commander of Air Operations Command, and Director of Military Support at the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Candidate Won is known as a strategist who demonstrates cautious, analytical, and creative judgment in major decision-making. Especially, as the highest authority in the Air Force's operations field, he is credited with effectively managing the Air Force's surveillance posture and rapid response capabilities during his tenure as Commander of Air Operations Command. He is also known to be very close with Thomas Bergeson, former Commander of the U.S. 7th Air Force, with their families maintaining a close relationship.

He significantly contributed to strengthening the Air Force's joint operational capabilities, including conducting the Red Flag Alaska exercise and the first-ever trilateral joint air force exercise among Korea, the U.S., and the U.K., called 'Invincible Shield.' When Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo served as Air Force Chief of Staff, Won held positions such as Vice Chief of Staff and Commander of Air Operations Command, and later served as Director of Military Support at the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Jeong's tenure as Chairman, earning strong trust from the minister.

Candidate Won has approximately 3,100 flight hours primarily on the KF-16 and has a family consisting of his wife Lee Hye-myung and two children. His son, a graduate of the 59th class of the Air Force Academy, is an F-15K pilot.

The government is expected to carry out subsequent general officer appointments, including the Army Chief of Staff, early next month. For the Army Chief of Staff position, Nam Young-shin (ROTC 23rd class), Commander of Ground Operations Command, along with An Young-ho, Director of Operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Korea Military Academy 42nd class), Kim Jeong-su, Chief of Staff of Ground Operations Command, and Kim Seung-gyeom, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, are expected to be advanced.

Additionally, Hwang Dae-il, Commander of the 1st Corps (43rd class), Kim Jeong-su, Commander of the Special Warfare Command, and An Jun-seok, Defense Secretary, are also considered possible candidates. Non-KMA officers such as Park Sang-geun, Commander of the 3rd Corps (ROTC 25th class), and Heo Gang-su, Commander of the 7th Corps (3rd Infantry School 23rd class), are also mentioned as candidates. In the Air Force, Lee Seong-ryong, Director of Strategy at the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a junior to candidate Seo (34th class of the Air Force Academy), is expected to move to key positions. The Navy is expected to have only minor personnel changes as current Chief of Naval Operations Bu Seok-jong was recently appointed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.