Announcement of Promotions to General Officers Below Lieutenant General Possibly Today

The military authorities are expected to announce promotions for generals at the rank of lieutenant general and below as early as the 6th.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On that day, a military official stated, "The Army, Navy, and Air Force each formed a selection committee for general promotions and reported to the Minister of National Defense in the morning," adding, "The announcement will be made after approval from the Presidential Office."

The military's decision to announce follow-up personnel changes about a week after the general officer appointments were announced on the 29th of last month is interpreted as an effort to minimize any gaps in operational readiness.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Kim Gye-hwan, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, who was the most notable figure among the lieutenant general and below personnel changes, is expected to remain in his position. On the 3rd, Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik expressed during a briefing with defense reporters that he would not hold Marine Corps commanders responsible for personnel changes related to the Marine Corps personnel accident. At the briefing, Minister Shin said, "(The allegations against Commander Kim) are one-sided claims and speculation, and replacing him now would be a dishonor and a dismissal."

The Strategic Command, to be established next year, will be led by an Air Force lieutenant general. Minister Shin said, "I met with the Chief of Staff of the Air Force and asked him to keep a position open so that an Air Force lieutenant general can take over as the Strategic Command commander during next spring's personnel reshuffle," adding, "We are considering establishing the command around the second half of next year."

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