Deputy Director Kang Eun-ho of Defense Acquisition Program Administration Resigns... Who Will Be the Successor?

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Deputy Director Kang Eun-ho of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) submitted his resignation on the 27th, drawing attention to the candidates for his successor as DAPA chief. This is because rumors of a replacement for DAPA Administrator Wang Jeong-hong, who recently marked two years in office along with the appointment of the Minister of National Defense, have been steadily circulating.

According to a government official on the day, "Deputy Director Kang Eun-ho submitted his resignation after applying for a leave of absence last week, and the Ministry of Personnel Management is scheduled to give final approval this Thursday."

With this resignation, the prevailing view is that Kang is more likely to move to the position of Director of the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) rather than becoming a candidate for DAPA chief.

In June, Kang announced the results of an internal audit conducted over about a month following allegations of confidential information leaks by ADD retirees. However, as the final audit and investigation results have not been released and progress has stalled, there is speculation that Kang himself will bring closure to the confidential information leak allegations. At the time, rumors circulated within and outside the military that "Kang took the lead in place of Administrator Wang, who oversees ADD."

As Kang submitted his resignation, Park Jae-min, Deputy Minister of National Defense, has been mentioned as a candidate for the next DAPA chief. Since the establishment of DAPA in 2006, external personnel have continuously been appointed as chiefs, but now there is an opinion that military-related personnel with expertise in weapon procurement and other areas are needed. From this perspective, Kang being mentioned as a candidate for ADD Director has also sparked controversy. So far, only 7 out of 18 ADD directors have been promoted internally.

It is also known that there is considerable opposition from the Ministry of Economy and Finance regarding the DAPA chief position. Administrator Wang, the 10th DAPA chief, is a former Secretary General of the Board of Audit and Inspection. In the past, DAPA chiefs have often been appointed from the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Former chiefs No Dae-rae, Jang Soo-man, and Lee Yong-geol all came from the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Since this position has long been held by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, they are unwilling to concede it to personnel from other ministries. Some critics argue that appointing outsiders without expertise in defense acquisition only hinders the development of the defense industry sector.

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