Nominee to lead ROK military comes out against military pact with North Korea

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Nominee to lead ROK military comes out against military pact with North Korea

Kim Myung-soo says CMA has constrained military but faces scrutiny over personal conduct and alleged lack of experience

Jeongmin Kim | Joon Ha Park November 16, 2023

Nominee to lead ROK military comes out against military pact with North Korea

Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff nominee Admiral Kim Myung-soo (right) receives a traditional Korean sword in honor of his promotion from South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol at a promotion ceremony at the ROK Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul. | Image: ROK Presidential Office (Oct. 30, 2023).

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s nominee for the country’s highest-ranking military position voiced skepticism about the value of a 2018 military deal with North Korea this week, while facing a barrage of questions about his personal conduct at a confirmation hearing.

Yoon picked three-star Navy Vice Admiral Kim Myung-soo to serve as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on Oct. 29, with the nominee only promoted to four-star rank after his selection.

About the Authors

Jeongmin Kim

Jeongmin Kim is the Lead Correspondent at NK News and Editorial Director at KOREA PRO, based in Seoul. Kim covers inter-Korean relations and North and South Korean foreign and military affairs. Kim has covered the 2022 ROK presidential election on the ground, and prior to joining NK News, she worked for the CSIS Korea Chair in Washington D.C. and Reuters news agency’s Seoul bureau.

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