[Defense Club] We Must Uphold the Pride of the Marine Corps

Why Is the Marine Corps Commander Not a Four-Star General?
President Yoon's Pledge to Elevate the Marine Corps Commander to General Rank

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] When the Marine Corps was established in 1949, the commander's rank was lieutenant colonel. Through the Korean War and the Vietnam War, the Marine Corps gained the nickname "Ghost Marines," reflecting its elevated status. The rank also rose. Former President Park Chung-hee promoted Lieutenant General Kang Ki-cheon, who was a three-star general in 1969, to general and appointed him as the 7th commander. Subsequently, commanders Jeong Gwang-ho (8th) and Lee Byung-moon (9th) were also promoted to general.

However, this honor did not last long. After the '1·21 Incident,' in which North Korean armed infiltrators penetrated the Blue House, former President Park disbanded the Marine Corps Headquarters. Five years later, on September 14, 1973, at a State Council meeting, the Marine Corps was integrated into the Navy. Some in the military saw this as a move to curb the influence of the Marine Corps, which had grown due to its contributions in the Vietnam War, and because Marine generals involved in the May 16 coup were implicated in anti-revolutionary incidents.

The side effects quickly became apparent. There was no military unit to replace the Marine Corps' operations such as amphibious assaults. This is why the Marine Corps Headquarters was reestablished in 1987. Its true value was demonstrated in November 2010 during the Yeonpyeong Island shelling by North Korea. The image of a soldier retaliating with a K-9 self-propelled howitzer while his helmet was on fire symbolically represented the Marine Corps spirit.

The Northwest Islands Command was established, and in 2019, with the revision of the Military Personnel Act, the path was reopened for the commander to be promoted to general again. In November last year, a draft amendment to the Military Flag Regulation was announced, adding the Marine Corps flag alongside the Joint Chiefs of Staff flag and the Army, Navy, and Air Force flags, with plans to finalize the amendment early this year.

Unlike South Korea, the United States holds the Marine Corps in high regard. The US Marine Corps has about 170,000 personnel. They even produce and deploy a separate version of the top stealth fighter, the F-35, called the F-35B, specifically for the Marines. This represents air power comparable to that of the Air Force and Navy.

The Marine Corps organization also has flexibility. In August last year, for the first time in 246 years since the founding of the US Marine Corps, a Black four-star general was appointed as commander. Until 1941, the US Marine Corps refused to recruit minorities such as Black people. It was only after former US President Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order that Black people were allowed to enlist in the Marine Corps.

At that time, despite opposition from the leadership, President Roosevelt insisted on recruiting Black Marines. The advancement of Marine Corps commanders is also notable. During the Barack Obama administration, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was Joseph Dunford, a Marine Corps commander. Dunford participated in the 2003 Iraq War and served as the commander of the 5th Regiment of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. He earned the nickname "Fighting Joe" for his achievements in advancing toward Baghdad.

We also hope that our Marine Corps will build a powerful force like the US. For that, the decision of President Yoon Suk-yeol remains. During his presidential campaign, President Yoon pledged to promote the Marine Corps commander to general and transition to a 'four-armed forces system.' Currently, the military general positions include the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, the deputy commander of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command, the Army Ground Operations Command commander, and the Army 2nd Operations Command commander, totaling seven. If President Yoon decides, he can revise personnel regulations to allow the Marine Corps commander to become the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or the deputy commander of the Combined Forces Command.

There are challenges. President Yoon must persuade other branches. They oppose, arguing that the Marine Corps' size is smaller than one Army corps, making the command structure incompatible. They also claim that due to low birth rates and manpower shortages, there is no need to increase the number of 'star' positions. Considering these realities, President Yoon must devise a clever strategy to boost the morale of the Marine Corps.

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