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Cabinet officials

Lee Jae Myung Names Civilian Defense Minister and 11 Cabinet Positions

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

President Lee Jae Myung nominated Ahn Gyu-back as defense minister, the first civilian defense chief in 64 years, to reform the military and rebuild a nation fractured by the brief imposition of martial law in December last year. The military has come under scrutiny since Yoon deployed troops to the National Assembly when he declared martial law on Dec. 3. Ahn is a veteran politician with the Democratic Party and has mostly served on the defense subcommittee of the National Assembly. Lee also tapped former Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun as South Korea's top diplomat and announced his picks for 11 Cabinet positions, including ministers for the environment, science, and labor.

Key Takeaways:

  • Ahn Gyu-back, a five-term lawmaker, was nominated as the first civilian defense minister in 64 years to reform the military and rebuild the nation.
  • The military has come under scrutiny since Yoon declared martial law on Dec. 3, allegedly to block lawmakers.
  • Ahn is a veteran politician with the Democratic Party and has mostly served on the defense subcommittee of the National Assembly.
  • President Lee Jae Myung nominated former Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun as South Korea's top diplomat to address pending diplomatic issues.
  • Cho has extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy and trade issues, serving as the South Korean ambassador to the United Nations from 2019-22.
  • Lee also nominated Chung Dong-young, a journalist-turned-veteran DP lawmaker, for unification minister, responsible for inter-Korean affairs.
  • Bae Kyung-hoon, head of LG AI Research, was named minister for science and ICT, and former conservative lawmaker Kwon Oh-eul was tapped as minister for veterans affairs.
  • Lee added incumbent DP lawmakers to his ministers' list, including Rep. Kim Sung-whan as minister for the environment and Rep. Kang Sun-woo as minister for gender equality.

Statistics:

  • South Korea has not had a civilian defense minister in 64 years, since the military coup in 1961.
  • Ahn Gyu-back has served on the defense subcommittee of the National Assembly for multiple terms.
  • President Lee Jae Myung named 11 Cabinet positions, including ministers for the environment, science, and labor.
  • South Korea's top diplomat, Cho Hyun, has extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy and trade issues, having served as the South Korean ambassador to the United Nations from 2019-22.

Sources:

  • Yonhap News Agency, 23 Jun 2025, "President Lee Jae Myung names first civilian defense chief in 64 years"

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