Nam Young-shin Appointed Army Chief of Staff: "Will Create a Culture Where Origin and Region Do Not Matter"

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter]Army Chief of Staff Nam Young-shin held his inauguration ceremony and officially began his duties on the 23rd at the large parade ground of Gyeryongdae in Chungnam.

In his inaugural address that day, General Nam stated, "Some media outlets place great significance on the fact that I am the first Chief of Staff not from the Korea Military Academy," adding, "However, the essence is to create an Army culture where origin, region, and school do not matter." He was referring to the media highlighting that he is the first Army Chief of Staff in the history of the founding of the Army to come from the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC).

General Nam emphasized, "What matters is not how one became a member of the Army, but what one is doing for the Army now, and we are all from the Army."

He continued, "When we respect each other's qualities and abilities and work together under the name of the Army without prejudice, the public will respect us as well," urging, "Let all members of the Army take pride and affection in their service and join in building an Army that the people trust and respect."

General Nam said, "The next five years from now will be a crucial turning point for the future of the Army and the security of the Republic of Korea," and requested the participation of all Army personnel in the journey to build a strong Army that fights and wins.

He pledged, "Based on the principle of Bonrip Doseong (本立道生 ? meaning that when the foundation is firmly established, the path naturally emerges), we will prepare the basics and advance toward the future, carrying out our duties with the mindset of adding one more brick to the achievements of my predecessor."

General Nam added, "The road ahead is long and arduous, but if we work together, we can definitely accomplish it," and said, "Winning without fighting is best, but if we must fight, we must build an Army that wins decisively."

The inauguration ceremony, presided over by Defense Minister Suh Wook, proceeded in the order of the national ceremony, reading of orders, transfer of the military flag, parade, minister's address, and inaugural speech. General Nam graduated from Dong-A University in Busan and was commissioned as the 23rd ROTC class. He has served as commander of the 7th Airborne Special Forces Brigade, 3rd Division, Special Warfare Command, Defense Security Command, Military Security Support Command, and Ground Operations Command.

Meanwhile, Minister Suh Wook, in his address, said, "The Army is at the center of our military’s era-defining tasks such as the implementation of the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement, Defense Reform 2.0, and the transition of wartime operational control," and urged, "While firmly maintaining its primary mission of military readiness, I hope the Army supports the government’s efforts for complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and permanent peace settlement with 'strong power.'"

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