<기사>Presidential Office Says General Hong Beom-do's Remarks on Moon: "The Problem Is the Former President Stepping Forward" (Comprehensive)

Amid Various Military Controversies, National Security Office Defense Line Replaced
Presidential Office: "Plan Prepared Before Recent Incidents"
Appointment of Korea-US Combined Operations Expert

On the 4th, the Presidential Office rebutted former President Moon Jae-in, who pointed out that "it is right for the Presidential Office to step in and resolve the controversy" regarding the relocation controversy of General Hong Beom-do's bust at the Korea Military Academy, saying, "The problem is that a former president is getting involved excessively."

When a reporter asked about former President Moon's remarks from the previous day during a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office, a Presidential Office official responded, "The problem is not that the Presidential Office is not stepping in on this issue." Former President Moon had pointed out on Facebook the day before that "even if the issue was discussed at the Military Academy level, since the controversy has grown this large, it is right for the Presidential Office to step in and resolve the controversy."

Regarding the simultaneous replacement of Im Jong-deuk, the 2nd Deputy Director of the National Security Office responsible for defense and security, and Im Ki-hoon, the Defense Secretary, which President Yoon Seok-yeol is pushing for, some speculate that the personnel changes are related to the death of Marine Corps Corporal Chae Mo, the insubordination controversy involving Park Jung-hoon, the head of the Marine Corps investigation team who investigated the case, and the controversy over the relocation of General Hong Beom-do's bust. However, the Presidential Office dismissed this, saying it is "a personnel change due to replacement needs."

On the afternoon of the same day at the Yongsan Presidential Office, a senior Presidential Office official told reporters, "The National Security Office personnel changes have not been fully verified yet, and it is impossible to give a 100% confirmation on who will be appointed until the official appointment is made. The personnel authority lies solely with the president." He added, "Since the Defense Secretary and the 2nd Deputy Director are either former military officers or currently active-duty military personnel, the personnel plan is coordinated with the military personnel plan more than six months in advance, and a comprehensive plan is prepared along with the handover process. This comprehensive plan has been prepared long before recent incidents, including the Corporal Chae issue."

It is reported that President Yoon is considering appointing experts in related fields to ensure the smooth implementation of the Korea-US Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) agreed upon with US President Joe Biden during his state visit to the US in April, known as the 'Washington Declaration,' and the Korea-US and Korea-US-Japan joint military exercises derived from the Korea-US-Japan summit held last month at Camp David in the US.

In this regard, In Sung-hwan, former superintendent of the Joint Military Academy (Korea Military Academy Class 43), is strongly expected to succeed Deputy Director Im. In is regarded as a leading 'America expert' within the military, having served in the Ministry of National Defense's US Policy Division, the Operations Staff of the Korea-US Combined Forces Command, the Planning Office of the Combined Forces Command, and as the first Korean deputy division commander of the Korea-US Combined Division. Notably, during his tenure as the commander of the 56th Division, he was recognized for his contributions to strengthening the Korea-US alliance and enhancing Korea-US combined combat capabilities, receiving the Legion of Merit (LOM), the highest honor awarded by the US government to foreign military personnel. He is also known for advocating the strengthening of the United Nations Command's functions during his active-duty general years. It is reported that In will start working at the Presidential Office from today and will receive a handover from Deputy Director Im.

Im, a retired Army Major General, is reportedly undergoing personnel verification as a candidate for the next Deputy Minister of National Defense. Im, an active-duty Army Major General serving as Defense Secretary, is expected to return to the military in October during the military general personnel reshuffle period. Choi Byung-ok (Korea Military Academy Class 50), Director of Defense Policy at the Ministry of National Defense, is reported to be appointed as Im's successor. Like In, Director Choi has also worked in the Ministry of National Defense's US Policy Division.

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