Unending Rumors of ADD Director Nomination... Ministry of National Defense "Cannot Agree"

Exterior view of the Agency for Defense Development

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Controversy continues over the recruitment announcement for the director of the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), the key institution for the development of South Korean military weapon systems. The newly added qualification requirement stating 'retired senior official level from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA)' has sparked speculation that a candidate from DAPA has already been preselected and that this measure was taken with that in mind.

On the 19th, the National Public Research Labor Union of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions issued a statement saying, "The public application for the ADD director position closed on the 13th, and it has been reported that Mr. Kang, a deputy director-level official who retired from DAPA last month, applied for the director position," adding, "There are suspicions that this is coordinated with the Blue House."

They also stated, "It is extremely reckless to expect someone with limited experience in defense acquisition management and related fields to perform the role of the ADD director, which is a completely different domain," emphasizing, "If the appointment of a retired DAPA official, as mentioned in the media, is forced through, it will result in obstructing progress in defense research and development."

On the 3rd, the Ministry of National Defense announced the ADD director recruitment, specifying eligibility as retired officers of lieutenant colonel rank or higher with experience in defense policy-related departments, senior officials from the Ministry of National Defense and DAPA with over five years of service in weapon system acquisition and defense science technology fields, and senior researchers or higher at government-affiliated research institutes in science and defense technology. The phrase 'senior official level from DAPA' was included in the eligibility criteria for the first time this year; it was not present in the 2014 and 2017 recruitment announcements.

Because of this, rumors have circulated within and outside the military that Kang Eun-ho, former deputy director and second-in-command at DAPA, who submitted his resignation last week and abruptly stepped down, has been preselected as the ADD director. It has not been confirmed whether Kang applied for the ADD director position. However, any retired official from DAPA, including Kang, must wait three years after retirement before taking a position as head of affiliated or government-funded institutions or defense industry companies. Additionally, they must request a post-retirement employment review from the Government Ethics Committee of the Ministry of Personnel Management and receive a 'permission to work' decision.

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