New Marines Corps chief named

By Lee Tae-hoon

Lt. Gen. Lee Ho-yeon pledged to bring a fresh change to the Marines and beef up military readiness against possible attacks by North Korea as he was sworn in Tuesday as the 32nd chief of the Marines.

He replaced former Marine Corps Chief of Staff Yoo Nak-joon, who had been under heavy criticism for a shooting spree at a Marine base on Ganghwa Island in July, a series of suicides and widespread physical violence in barracks.

“I will focus on improving air-ground combat readiness against various threats and will sternly retaliate and counterattack if the enemy provokes us,” Lee said in his inauguration speech at the headquarters of the Marine Corps in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

He will also lead the West Sea Islands Command, which was created in the aftermath of the North Korean artillery bombardment of Yeonpyeong Island in the West Sea last November, which took the lives of two Marines and two civilians.

Major General Michael R. Regner, who currently serves as the Commanding General of U.S. Marine Forces Korea, and other top military officials attended the inauguration ceremony.