By Jung Sung-ki
Staff reporter
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Han Min-koo has been designated as the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the Ministry of National Defense announced Monday.
Han, 57, will replace Gen. Lee Sang-eui who resigned Sunday to take responsibility for the mishandling of the sinking of the Navy ship Cheonan in the West Sea in March.
Han's appointment is subject to approval by a Cabinet meeting today.
Gen. Hwang Eui-don, deputy commander of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), was tapped to become the new Army chief of staff.
Gen. Jung Seung-jo, commander of the First ROK Army, was appointed as deputy commander of the CFC.
Lt. Gen. Park Jung-i, chief of the JCS arms improvement bureau, is to be promoted to a full-star general to head the First ROK Army. Park led a multinational investigation into the March 26 sinking of the 1,200-ton frigate.
A follow-up reshuffle of three-star generals will be made as early as next week, ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae said.
"This reshuffle is designed to help ensure more robust national defense posture after settling the troubled situations following the Cheonan incident," Won said.
A native of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, Han, a member of the 31st graduating class of the Korea Military (Army) Academy, is known as a military strategist.
He held key policy planning posts at the defense ministry and Army headquarters.
A native of Wonju, Gangwon Province, Hwang, 57, served at intelligence posts in the military.
Last week, state auditors recommended that 25 military generals, officers and civilian officials be disciplined for mishandling the Cheonan sinking, which claimed the lives of 46 sailors.