11 brigadier generals elevated to major general

From left: Army Maj. Gen. Yoon Han-il, Navy Maj. Gen. Jo Chung-ho and Air Force Maj. Gen. Park Heung-jae, promoted to lieutenant general in the first-half general officer reshuffle. [Ministry of National Defense]
From left: Army Maj. Gen. Yoon Han-il, Navy Maj. Gen. Jo Chung-ho and Air Force Maj. Gen. Park Heung-jae, promoted to lieutenant general in the first-half general officer reshuffle. [Ministry of National Defense]

The government carried out its first-half general officer reshuffle Friday, promoting three officers to lieutenant general and 11 to major general.

In the Army, Maj. Gen. Yoon Han-il was promoted to lieutenant general and assigned as chief of staff of the Ground Operations Command. In the Navy, Maj. Gen. Jo Chung-ho was promoted to vice chief of naval operations, while in the Air Force, Maj. Gen. Park Heung-jae was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed superintendent of the Air Force Academy.

Lt. Gen. Kim Jong-muk, the current Ground Operations Command chief of staff, is set to take command of the III Corps, and Navy Vice Chief of Naval Operations Kwak Gwang-seop is set to become commander of Naval Operations Command.

Seven Army brigadier generals, two Navy brigadier generals and two Air Force brigadier generals are also to be promoted to major general and assigned to key posts, including division commander, aviation commander and service headquarters staff positions.

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense said the reshuffle focused on selecting officers with a strong sense of duty to the nation and its people who can strengthen the country's military power and defense capabilities. It added that the selections took into account each officer's ability to lead the defense of the Korean Peninsula and maintain complete operational readiness amid North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and an unstable international security environment.


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