Seoul: Kang Shin-chul, South Korea's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, was named Sunday as the nominee for defense minister. According to Yonhap News Agency, Kang, a retired four-star general, previously served as the deputy commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC). He is recognized for his extensive experience in both operational and strategic defense roles.

Kang Shin-chul, aged 58, comes with a robust military background, having graduated from the Korea Military Academy. Throughout his career, he has held significant positions within the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and the CFC. His leadership style is noted for being inclusive and reasonable, earning him respect across various military and government administrations, both liberal and conservative.

During the conservative Park Geun-hye administration, Kang was appointed as the military secretary to then Defense Minister Han Min-koo from 2016 to 2017. His career trajectory continued under the progressive Moon Jae-in government, where he served at the presidential National Security Office from 2021 to 2022, focusing on defense reform and strategy.

Even with the transition to the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, Kang maintained his influential position within the military, leading the JCS Operations Headquarters. In 2023, he was promoted to four-star general and became the deputy commander of the CFC, marking the highest rank attainable by a South Korean general in the command.

Kang retired as CFC deputy commander in September 2025 and has since been serving as the ambassador to Saudi Arabia since January. His nomination as defense minister highlights his continued prominence and influence within South Korea's defense and diplomatic spheres.