President-Elect Yoon Selects Retired General with Strong U.S. Ties as Next Defense Minister
A former ROK Army general that studied in the U.S. will soon be taking over the Defense Ministry:
Lee Jong-seop, a retired Army lieutenant general and former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), is an expert in military policy and strategy, with a focus on alliance issues between South Korea and the United States.
A graduate of the Korea Military Academy, Lee previously served as vice chief of staff of management at the 1st Army Command, and vice head of the defense ministry’s policy and planning division.He later served as head of the Army’s 2nd Division in 2013 before becoming the JCS vice chairman from 2017 to 2018. Lee joined President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s transition committee as a member of its diplomacy and security subcommittee.
Korea Times
He is considered well-versed in matters related to South Korea-U.S. military relations, having experience in work related to the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington to Seoul. He has a doctorate degree in studies concerning the South Korea-U.S. alliance from Tennessee State University.
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