- विज्ञापन -
Seoul: President Yoon Suk Yeol approved the appointment of Kim Yong-hyun, former head of the Presidential Security Service, as defence minister and presented a certificate of appointment on Friday, his office said.
Kim, a retired three-star Army general and close aide to Yoon, was nominated to the post last month to replace then-minister Shin Won-sik, who has since served as the national security adviser, reported Yonhap news agency.
Following Yoon’s election in May 2022, Kim led efforts to relocate the presidential office from Cheong Wa Dae to the defence ministry’s compound in Yongsan, central Seoul.
He has served as the chief of the Presidential Security Service for over two years. During his confirmation hearing, Kim faced tough questioning from opposition lawmakers about security breaches at the presidential office, including the landing of North Korea’s trash-filled balloons within the compound in July and drone incursions into nearby airspace in December 2022.
Kim also dismissed opposition-led concerns that the government might be preparing to declare martial law with the appointment of Yoon’s close confidant, as the defence minister holds the authority to recommend such a law to the president.
