Yoon Administration Appoints Kim Seong-han as First National Security Office Chief... Kim Yong-hyun as Security Office Director (Update)

Jang Je-won Elected Representative's Chief Secretary, Presidential Office Appointment Announcement on the 1st Afternoon

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Geum Bo-ryeong] Kim Seong-han, former 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has been appointed as the first National Security Office Chief under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration.

Jang Je-won, Chief of Staff to the President-elect, held a press conference on the 1st at the Presidential Transition Committee office in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and announced, "The National Security Office Chief is Kim Seong-han, a professor at Korea University Graduate School of International Studies."

Regarding Kim's appointment, Chief Jang explained, "He is an authority in diplomacy and security, having served as the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, equipped with both theoretical knowledge and capabilities in policy formulation and execution. We judged him to be the right person to serve as the control tower to actively respond to domestic and international security environments and protect the safety of the nation and its people."

Kim Tae-hyo, a professor at Sungkyunkwan University, was named as the 1st Deputy Director of the National Security Office, and Shin In-ho, director of the KAIST Eulji Defense Research Institute, was appointed as the 2nd Deputy Director. Chief Jang emphasized, "Professor Kim, who served as the President’s Foreign Strategy Planning Officer, is a strategist in the security field combining theory and practice. We believe he is the right person to improve the deadlocked inter-Korean relations and lay the foundation for principled North Korea policies." Regarding Director Shin, he said, "He previously served as the Crisis Management Secretary of the National Security Office and has abundant practical experience. We expect him to present sophisticated policies to strengthen flawless security posture and demonstrate crisis management capabilities."

Kim Yong-hyun, former Operations Headquarters Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Ministry of National Defense, was appointed as the Chief of the Presidential Security Service. Chief Jang stated, "Former Chief Kim also served as the Commander of the Capital Defense Command and is highly capable in defending the capital and specific security zones, making him the most suitable person for the position of Security Service Chief. At this historic moment of returning the Blue House to the people for the first time in over 70 years and relocating the presidential office and residence, we expect him to present a new security paradigm."

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