SEOUL — In a significant reshuffle of South Korea's security leadership, President Yoon Suk Yeol has appointed Kim Yong-hyun, the current chief of the Presidential Security Service (PSS), as the new defense minister, while the outgoing Defense Minister Shin Won-sik will take over as national security adviser, announced the presidential office on Monday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, this shuffle also sees National Security Adviser Chang Ho-jin moving to a newly created position as special adviser for foreign affairs and security. Kim Yong-hyun, a former three-star Army general who has been with the PSS since May 2022, remarked on the gravity of the current global security challenges, pledging to establish a formidable security posture. His appointment is pending a parliamentary confirmation, although the president has the authority to finalize the appointment irrespective of the hearing's outcome. Shin Won-sik, also a former three-star general and past lawmaker with the ruling People Power Party, takes over the national security role after a brief tenure as defense minister. Chang, a seasoned diplomat with previous roles including ambassador to Russia, steps into a strategic advisory role amid evolving international dynamics.