[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Lee Jong-seop Defense, Unscheduled Appointment Handled

It appears to be a farewell visit to units including the Army 7th Corps and 2nd Division
Shin Beomcheol to act as deputy minister when President Yoon's resignation is accepted

Lee Jong-seop, the Minister of National Defense who is reported to have expressed his intention to resign, visited the Chungnam Gyeryongdae, Army 7th Corps, and 2nd Division consecutively on the afternoon of the 12th, despite no prior schedule.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On that day, a military official stated, "Minister Lee visited Gyeryongdae and met privately with the Army Chief of Staff and the Navy Chief of Naval Operations, during which he shared his reflections, encouragement, and requests based on his experiences while serving."

It is known that at Gyeryongdae, he met privately with Army Chief of Staff Park Jeong-hwan and Navy Chief of Naval Operations Lee Jong-ho, and also visited the 7th Corps and 2nd Division where he had previously served. Some in the military speculate that this was a farewell visit to his former units.

Minister Lee is reported to have been contemplating his position considering the recent impeachment discussions by the Democratic Party of Korea and the potential security vacuum that could arise from a suspension of duties in the event of an emergency.

His expression of intent to resign appears to be influenced by considerations of current legal provisions. According to Article 134, Paragraph 2 of the National Assembly Act, the President, who holds the power of appointment, cannot accept the resignation or dismiss a person who has been impeached. If the ruling Democratic Party pushes through an impeachment motion against Minister Lee, the President’s appointment authority could be suspended for several months until the Constitutional Court delivers its ruling. This concern has also been voiced within some circles of the ruling party.

If President Yoon Seok-yeol accepts Minister Lee’s resignation, the Ministry of National Defense is expected to be operated under Acting Deputy Minister Shin Beom-cheol until a new minister is appointed.

Shin Won-sik, a member of the People Power Party, is being strongly mentioned as a potential successor. A former three-star general, Shin has served as the Ministry of National Defense’s Policy Planning Officer, Capital Defense Command Commander, Joint Chiefs of Staff Operations Headquarters Chief, and Deputy Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He has advocated for the removal of the bust of General Hong Beom-do installed at the Korea Military Academy.

Minister Lee has previously been criticized in the National Assembly over allegations of ‘external pressure’ during the investigation of the death of Marine Corporal Chae Mo and the controversy surrounding the removal of General Hong Beom-do’s bust at the Military Academy. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, issued a statement the day before, declaring that "the impeachment of the Minister of National Defense is the will of the people" and vowed to impeach Minister Lee in connection with the death of Corporal Chae.

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