Reshuffling is needed, but stability also matters

President Yoon Suk Yeol has reshuffled top posts of the military for the second time since taking office in May 2022. Following the first reshuffle last year, the commander in chief on Monday replaced the seven four-star generals entirely. President Yoon made the decision to re-energize the Armed Forces to show his strong determination to “maintain peace based on power.” But the new military leadership must stabilize swiftly under the increasing nuclear threat from North Korea amid the Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Middle East.

The most noticeable change in the latest reshuffle is the promotion of Naval Operations Commander Vice Adm. Kim Myung-soo, a three-star general, to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), a four-star general post. Such a promotion is the first in 53 years. In the past, only a four-star general could be promoted to the No. 2 position in the military. The president’s appointment reflects the need to strike a balance between military branches.

Adm. Kim, who graduated from the Naval Academy summa cum laude in the 1980s, served under current Defense Minister Shin Won-sik when both worked at the JCS. President Yoon named Kim as JCS chairman given his career as the captain of the destroyer King Sejong the Great and his expertise in the “three-axis” defense system, particularly when 90 percent of military operations are carried out at sea.

The president also made similar promotions for the remaining six four-star general posts of the Army, Navy and Air Force Chiefs of Staff, as well as the deputy commander of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command and the commanders of the Ground Operations Command and the Second Operations Command, which reflects the president’s will to replace the top brass who were appointed as three- or four-star generals in the dovish Moon Jae-in administration.

The reshuffle is also linked to the need to ease disgruntlement about the lethargic military leadership under former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup. For instance, the Seoul metropolitan area was exposed to North Korea’s reconnaissance drones which flew across the border without any interruptions last December.

Given the Armed Forces’ mission to fight the enemy at any time, the government must also ensure stability. It is not desirable to force out the JCS chairman and the Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs of staff without letting them finish their two-year term. It takes a long time to raise an able general. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. JCS, retired after four years of full service for the country. Our government also needs to learn from the way Uncle Sam treats his generals.