The commander of the First South Korean Army was tapped Monday to become the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee said.
Gen. Kim Tae-young's nomination comes at the recommendation of the defense minister. His appointment is subject to a confirmation hearing by the National Assembly Defense Committee, which then can adopt a non-binding opinion report.
Kim, 59, served as operations director at the JCS when Defense Minister Lee served as the head of the joint chiefs.
A native of Seoul, Kim has been in charge of the First Army, which is tasked with securing the country's eastern front line against North Korea, since 2006. He will replace Army Gen. Kim Kwan-jin if he is approved.
In other moves, the head of the Korea Military Academy, Lt. Gen. Yim Choong-bin, was nominated as the Army chief of staff and Vice Adm. Jeong Ock-geun was tapped as the Navy chief of staff.
The nominations of chiefs of staff are not subject to parliamentary hearings. (Yonhap)