Ministry of National Defense Nominates Kim Kyungryul, Commander of Naval Operations, as New Chief of Naval Operations

President Lee Jaemyung to Appoint on the 24th at Cabinet Meeting

Kim Kyungryul, Lieutenant General and Commander of Naval Operations, has been nominated as the new Chief of Naval Operations.

Lieutenant General Kim Kyungryul, Commander of Naval Operations, is delivering a speech at the welcome ceremony for the return of the 46th deployment of the Cheonghae Unit held on the 12th of last month at Jinhae Naval Base in Changwon, Gyeongnam. Navy

The Ministry of National Defense announced on the 23rd, "Lieutenant General Kim Kyungryul, Commander of Naval Operations, will be promoted to Admiral and appointed to the position." The ministry added, "Following deliberation by the Cabinet meeting on the 24th, the President, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, is expected to officially appoint him."

Born in 1970, the new Chief of Naval Operations, Kim, graduated from the 47th class of the Korea Naval Academy and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1993. He is an expert in defense policy and operations, having held various key posts, including Director of Defense Policy at the Ministry of National Defense, Commander of the 5th Mine and Amphibious Squadron, Director of Personnel at the ROK-US Combined Forces Command, Commander of the 3rd Fleet, Superintendent of the Korea Naval Academy, and Commander of Naval Operations.

Regarding the appointment, the Ministry of National Defense stated, "Given the current security situation on the Korean Peninsula and the unstable international security environment, he possesses the operational command capabilities and military expertise necessary to firmly uphold our maritime sovereignty." The ministry further explained, "He is the optimal candidate for the role, combining strategic insight, outstanding character, the ability to unite the military, and the leadership required to stably command the Navy."

This appointment comes 19 days after former Chief of Naval Operations Kang Donggil resigned. Previously, Kang stepped down voluntarily after receiving a severe disciplinary action for violating his duty of integrity related to the 12·3 Martial Law. Once the new chief, Kim, is appointed, Kang—who is currently serving a one-month suspension—will be automatically discharged from service.

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