[Profile] New Hwang Ki-cheol Appointed as Commissioner of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs
[Asia Economy Military Specialist Yang Nak-gyu] On the 30th, President Moon Jae-in appointed former Navy Chief of Staff Hwang Ki-chul as the new head of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.
Jung Man-ho, Senior Secretary for Public Communication at the Blue House, said on the 30th, "He is a former Navy Chief of Staff who has held key operational positions such as Commander of the Navy's 2nd Fleet and Commander of Naval Operations," adding, "In particular, he successfully led the Aden Bay Dawn Operation and is recognized for contributing to the establishment of a culture of patriotism, including support for Navy veterans' families and compensation for victims of Agent Orange."
Senior Secretary Jung stated, "Based on his outstanding leadership demonstrated so far, understanding of veterans' policies, strong sense of duty as a soldier, and strong drive, he is expected to successfully complete the tasks of veterans' innovation, including appropriate and responsible support for sacrifice and dedication to the nation, and contributing to national unity through balance among the three major areas of independence, national defense, and democracy."
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The new head Hwang has served as Captain of the Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyer, Director of the Ship Project Division at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, Commander of the 2nd Fleet, Commander of Naval Operations, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, and Superintendent of the Korea Naval Academy. In January 2011, he successfully led the rescue operation of the crew of the Samho Jewelry, who were kidnapped by Somali pirates, earning the title "Hero of the Aden Bay Operation." In the general election last April, he ran as a Democratic Party candidate in Changwon Jinhae, Gyeongnam, and lost by a margin of 1.4 percentage points, but has since served as chairman of the Democratic Party's Defense and Security Special Committee. He has also been mentioned as a successor to former Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo.
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