SEOUL—In a strategic move by the South Korean government, Shin Won-sik, the nominee for National Security Adviser, will also temporarily hold the position of defense minister until his successor is confirmed. This decision aims to ensure continuity at a critical time for national defense.
According to Yonhap News Agency, President Yoon Suk Yeol recently appointed Shin as the national security adviser while nominating Presidential Security Service chief Kim Yong-hyun as the new defense minister. However, while Shin can immediately start in his new role, Kim awaits a parliamentary hearing. "Until Defense Minister nominee Kim Yong-hyun is appointed after a parliamentary hearing process, National Security Adviser nominee Shin Won-sik will double as defense minister," the official stated. This arrangement mirrors a similar situation in 2014 when former Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin served in both capacities during a transitional period.
The confirmation hearing for Kim Yong-hyun is seen primarily as procedural, as the role of defense minister, unlike that of the prime minister, does not require formal approval from the National Assembly.