[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] The Candidate for Head of Defense Acquisition Program Administration Following the Deputy Minister of National Defense

Defense Acquisition Program Administration (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] With Shin Beom-cheol, head of the Foreign and Security Center at the Korea Institute for Economic and Social Affairs (transition committee expert member), being appointed as the Deputy Minister of National Defense, attention is turning to the appointment of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) Administrator, a position equivalent to deputy minister.

According to military and defense circles on the 9th, internal personnel from the military and DAPA, as well as political figures, are being mentioned, and it is expected that appointments will soon follow the Deputy Minister of National Defense.

First, Park Jin-ho, former aide to the chairman of the National Defense Committee of the People Power Party, is being considered for the DAPA Administrator position. During his presidential campaign, President-elect Yoon pledged to appoint a 'minister in their 30s.' However, this was not realized in the first cabinet formation. The average age of ministerial candidates was 59.7 years, and the only candidate in their 40s was Han Dong-hoon, nominated for Minister of Justice at age 49. Previously, there were no 20s or 30s among the transition committee members. In this context, former aide Park Jin-ho is gaining attention. Since 2019, Park has served as a member of the Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee, earning a reputation for his deep understanding of the defense industry.

Cho Sang-jun, former DAPA Defense Acquisition Supervisor and former head of the Special Investigation Division 2 at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, is also being mentioned. Cho, a graduate of the 26th Judicial Research and Training Institute class, has held positions such as Chief of Investigation Command at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Chief of Investigation Support, and Chief of the International Criminal Division at the Ministry of Justice's Prosecutor's Office. The Defense Acquisition Supervisor position was newly established in December 2015 as an open director-level post following the government's announcement of the 'Priority Measures to Eradicate Corruption in Defense Acquisition' that same year. However, some express concerns that Cho's experience as an outside director at private companies could pose issues during personnel vetting. There are also worries that if a former Defense Acquisition Supervisor is appointed as Administrator, managing DAPA projects could become more challenging.

Additionally, Seong Il, former head of the Base Power Project Headquarters at DAPA (Korea Military Academy class 43, retired Major General), and Seo Hyung-jin, Deputy Administrator of DAPA, are being considered. However, Seo has been perceived as unfriendly to the media, raising some concerns.

There are reports that some executives from defense companies were also considered. However, immediate appointment of a defense company executive as DAPA Administrator could be inconvenient both for the company and for the Administrator's ability to carry out duties, leading to refusals from company executives. Park Jae-min, current Deputy Minister of National Defense and former Director of the Power Resources Management Office, and Ryu Dong-jun, current Director of the Power Resources Office at the Ministry of National Defense, are also mentioned but are seen as figures of the current administration and thus effectively excluded from candidacy.

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