President Yoon taps new defence chief

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Tuesday nominated Presidential Security Service Chief Kim Yong-hyun as new Defense Minister while the current Defense Minister Shin Won-sik was named as new National Security Adviser.

Kim is a former military officer who served as operations chief at the Joint Chiefs of Staff and commander at the Capital Defense Command. The current national security advisor Chang Ho-jin, a former diplomat, has been named the special presidential adviser for Foreign Affairs and Security. This move is seen as an effort to further strengthen national security over foreign affairs.