[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] How Will This Month's Corps Commander General Officer Personnel Changes Be?

Kim Do-gyun, Commander of the Army Headquarters Defense Command, briefing after the 9th Inter-Korean General-Level Talks when he was the Chief Representative of the Ministry of National Defense's North Korea Policy Office / Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] This month, the military’s first half-year general officer personnel reshuffle is anticipated, drawing attention to its scale and timing. Inside and outside the military, it is expected that the reshuffle will focus on generals at the corps commander level in the Army.

On the 3rd, a government official stated, “The timing of the first half-year general officer personnel reshuffle in the military may be delayed depending on circumstances, but since there are no special issues this year, it is highly likely to proceed normally.”

The figures mentioned for this first half-year general officer reshuffle are General Kim Do-gyun, Commander of the Capital Defense Command, and Secretary Kang Geon-jak of the Defense Reform Office.

General Kim Do-gyun, who was promoted to Lieutenant General last year and appointed as Commander of the Capital Defense Command, is a graduate of the 44th class of the Korea Military Academy. When General Kim took office, there were many rumors. There was even controversy over preferential treatment, saying he “skipped the division commander position and went straight to corps commander.” The Capital Defense Command has subordinate units such as the 52nd Division, 56th Division, 1st Air Defense Brigade, 1st Security Group, and 35th Special Forces Battalion, making it considered a so-called “powerful position” among corps commander-level posts.

General Kim has never commanded a unit after serving as a regimental commander in a subordinate division of the Capital Defense Command during his colonel years. He has served in the Ministry of National Defense’s policy department, as Secretary for Defense Reform at the National Security Office, and as Director of North Korean Policy at the Ministry of National Defense. During his tenure as Director of North Korean Policy, he was credited with leading inter-Korean military talks and the implementation of the September 19 Military Agreement, leading to speculation that he might move to the Blue House in this reshuffle.

On the other hand, Secretary Kang has no field command experience at the corps commander level, so he could be reassigned as Commander of the Capital Defense Command. Kang Geon-jak, a graduate of the 45th class of the Korea Military Academy, was appointed Secretary for Defense Reform in October last year and promoted to Lieutenant General in December of the same year. After being promoted to Major General in January 2018, he served as Director of the National Crisis Management Center from December of that year. Because of this, there is speculation inside and outside the military that General Kim and Secretary Kang might swap positions.

Generals who were promoted in December last year, such as General Ahn Byung-seok, Commander of the 1st Corps, General Jeong Cheol-jae, Commander of the 2nd Corps, and General Lee Jeong-ung, Commander of the Capital Corps, have only recently taken office, so it is unlikely they will be reassigned. However, General Park Yang-dong, Commander of the 6th Corps, who took office in November 2019, and General Kim Hyun-jong, Commander of the 5th Corps, who took office in May last year, are likely to be reassigned.

General Park, commissioned through ROTC class 26, is regarded as an operations expert, having served as Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Operations Control Center, Special Warfare Division Chief, Chief of Staff of the Capital Defense Command, and Director of Civil-Military Operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff. During his tenure as Director of Civil-Military Operations, he was credited with overseeing the military’s overseas dispatch operations and leading safety missions. Notably, he received high marks for leading the 6th Corps, which is to be merged or dissolved under defense reform, without any operational gaps. Because of this, there is speculation that he might be reassigned back to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Also, General Kim Hyun-jong, Commander of the 5th Corps and former Secretary for Defense Reform at the Blue House, is a graduate of the 44th class of the Korea Military Academy and is known more as a policy expert than a field commander. He has served as Chief of Staff of the 3rd Corps, Director of the Army Headquarters Policy Office, and Commander of the 3rd Division. Therefore, there is a strong possibility he will be assigned as the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, a position currently vacant. The current Deputy Chief of Staff, General Park Joo-kyung, is serving as head of the COVID-19 vaccine transport support headquarters, making it difficult for him to assume the position for the time being.

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