Gen. Kim Sang-ki Army chief of staff

By Jung Sung-ki

The Ministry of National Defense named Gen. Kim Sang-ki, commander of the Third Army Command, as new Army chief Wednesday.

Kim, 58, replaces Gen. Hwang Eui-don, who resigned Tuesday in the wake of controversy over his past property investment.

Lt. Gen. Lee Hong-ki, director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS)’s operations bureau, was appointed as Kim’s successor, according to the ministry. Lee is to be promoted to a four-star general.

The nomination of Kim and Lee is subject to approval from the Cabinet meeting Thursday.

“Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin nominated Gen. Kim and Lt. Gen. Lee as new Army chief and Third Army Commander, respectively, in recognition of Kim’s expertise in military affairs and Lee’s extensive field-commanding experience. And the President accepted the nomination,” the ministry said in a statement.

A graduate of the Korea Military Academy in 1976, Gen. Kim previously served as deputy defense minister for policy and as commander of the 50th Army Division. He also served as vice chief of JCS’ strategy planning bureau, head of the Army’s combat power planning bureau and commander of the Special Warfare Command.

With Kim’s appointment, the three services of the military are to have the chiefs from the southeastern Gyeongsang region, where President Lee Myung-bak was born. President Lee was born in Pohang. He is a high school senior of Kim.

Against this backdrop, some critics raised the possibility of political influence in the latest military shakeup, given it had been a practice for commanders from different regions to share the top posts.

A defense ministry official dismissed such a claim.

“We put personal performances and professionalism before regional backgrounds, and we’ll not follow the old practice of military chiefs from different regions sharing the top posts,” the official said.

Lt. Gen. Lee graduated from the military academy in 1977. He served as head of the JCS’ joint operations bureau and as chief of the Third Army’s operations department. He was the commander of the 32nd Army Division and the 6th Army Corps.

Lee also worked as a chief policymaker at the defense ministry.



김상기 3군 사령관 육참총장 내정

국방부는 15일 신임 육군참모총장에 김상기(58ㆍ육사 32기) 3군사령관이 내정됐다고 밝혔다. 또 공석이 된 3군사령관에는 이홍기(57.육사33기) 합참작전본부장이 내정됐다.

국방부는 “김관진 국방장관은 김상기 육군참모총장 내정자와 이홍기 3군 사령관 내정자의 전문성과 야전성, 군인 기실을 높게 평가해 대통령께 추천하였고, 대통령은 이를 승인했다”고 발표했다.

국방부는 또한 “더 이상의 대장급 인사는 없다. 다른 4성 장군들은 현재 임무를 그대로 수행하게 될 것”이라고 밝혔다. 이는 참모총장과 동기생들이 전역하는 과거의 관례를 벗어나는 것으로 현행 국방공백을 최소화하려는 의도로 풀이된다.

김상기 육참총장 내정자는 포항 동지상고와 육사를 나온 후 육군 교육사령부 전력개발차장과 합동참모본부 전략기획차장, 50사단장, 육군본부 전력기획참모부장, 특전사령관, 제3야전군사령관 등을 지내는 등 야전과 정책에 폭넓은 지휘관 경험을 갖춘 것으로 평가받고 있다.

김 내정자는 특히 지난 2월 고려대학교 행정대학원에서 ‘특수전부대의 집단 응집성에 관한 연구-조직문화적 요소를 중심으로’란 제목의 논문으로 행정학 박사학위를 받았을만큼 실전과 이론에 강한 면모를 보이고 있다.

김상기 내정자는 16일 오전 임시국무회의에서 심의 의결을 거쳐 대통령에게 임명장을 받은 뒤 오후에 공식 취임한다