This Second Lieutenant Who Joined the Marine Corps Following His Superior Officer Wife

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] An officer who chose the Marine Corps to serve alongside his superior officer wife has attracted attention. The protagonist is Second Lieutenant Lee Ji-hoon (Marine Corps, photo), who completed the 130th Officer Candidate Course graduation ceremony on the 28th.

After commissioning as an Army second lieutenant in 2017, Lee was discharged as an Army first lieutenant in 2019. In March this year, he enlisted as a Marine Corps officer, successfully completed the grueling 11-week training, and was commissioned as a Marine Corps second lieutenant on the 28th. His wife, Captain Kim Hye-jung (29), who is his superior officer in the military, was commissioned as an engineering officer through the 60th ROTC class and currently serves in the Marine Corps Logistics Unit.

On the afternoon of the 28th, the 130th Officer Candidate Course graduation ceremony was held at the Naval Academy in Jinhae, Gyeongnam, presided over by Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Bu Seok-jong, producing 392 elite Navy and Marine Corps officers. Unique individuals including Second Lieutenant Lee attracted attention.

Second Lieutenant Oh Sang-jun (Navy) continues his family's patriotic maritime defense spirit as a third-generation Navy officer. Oh’s grandfather, retired Colonel Oh Jung-geun, was commissioned from the 13th Naval Academy class, and his father, retired First Lieutenant Oh Mu-hyung, was commissioned from OCS class 79.

Second Lieutenant Park Jong-geun (Navy) holds three separate military service numbers. He enlisted as an Army private in 2011, was commissioned as an Army non-commissioned officer in 2012, and served for five years and six months. With his recent commissioning as a Navy officer, Park now holds three military service numbers.

Second Lieutenant Lee Ji-hoon (Marine Corps) chose the path of a Marine Corps officer to serve alongside his wife, Captain Kim Hye-jung, after being discharged as an Army first lieutenant.

Some officers transitioned from Army and Air Force to Navy officers. Second Lieutenant Nam Hyuk-jun (Navy) was discharged as an Army first lieutenant; Second Lieutenants Kwon Seon-yong (Navy) and Lee Jun-sung (Navy) were discharged as Army captains; and Second Lieutenant Park Jeong-hwa (Navy) was discharged as an Air Force first lieutenant before re-commissioning as Navy officers.

Second Lieutenant Jo Mi-ru (Navy) was commissioned as a Navy non-commissioned officer in 2009 as part of the 223rd class and served for 12 years, gaining extensive experience including participation in RIMPAC exercises and deployment with the 19th Cheonghae Unit, before commissioning as an officer. Second Lieutenants Kim Na-yeon (Marine Corps) and Jeon Jin-woo (Marine Corps) were commissioned as Marine Corps officers while serving as active-duty non-commissioned officers.

In celebration of the new officers’ commissioning, destroyers, landing ships, logistics support ships, mine warfare ships, and submarines were deployed in Okpo Bay in front of the Naval Academy. The commissioning included 240 Navy officers (including 39 female officers) and 152 Marine Corps officers (including 19 female officers). Among the commissioned, two who passed the civil service exam were commissioned as first lieutenants.

Considering the COVID-19 situation, the ceremony was held on campus without family invitations. For families unable to attend, the event was broadcast live on YouTube.

The 392 officers commissioned on this day enlisted on March 15 and cultivated mental and physical strength over 11 weeks. After commissioning, they will complete basic military training specific to their branches and be assigned to various Navy and Marine Corps units. The Officer Candidate School (OCS) system, introduced in 1948 to provide diverse opportunities to become Navy and Marine Corps officers and to secure outstanding personnel, has produced over 24,000 officers to date, including those commissioned in the 130th class.

In his congratulatory speech, Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Bu Seok-jong said, "Over the past 70 years, the Navy and Marine Corps have taken the lead in fulfilling their missions whenever the country faced difficulties, developing into the current victorious Navy and loyal Marine Corps. I ask the newly commissioned officers, who will lead the Navy and Marine Corps, to play a key role in the vigorous voyage toward a victorious Navy that wins through strong will and courageous challenges, and an advanced Navy trusted by the people."

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