On September 2, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol appointed Kim Yong-hyun as defense minister. Kim was nominated to his new position on August 12 during unexpected personnel shuffles that also included naming Defense Minister Shin Won-sik as the national security adviser and placing National Security Adviser Chang Ho-jin in a newly created role, special adviser to the president for foreign affairs and national security. There was widespread speculation that these shuffles were motivated by increasing security and geopolitical concerns.

Kim’s comments that South Korea should not exclude the possibility of seeking nuclear options have attracted attention, particularly given that the Yoon administration’s official position is to address security issues through the US alliance and under extended deterrence commitments. Furthermore, Kim will likely continue pushing forward with Yoon’s policy emphasis on bilateral US-ROK and trilateral US-ROK-Japan security cooperation to address escalating North Korean threats.

Who Is Kim?

Kim had served as the chief of the Presidential Security Service since the beginning of the Yoon administration in May 2022. He held key positions in the military until his retirement as a three-star Army general in 2017, from commander of the Capital Defense Command to leading the Chief Directorate of Operations in the Joint Chief of Staff (JCS). He is also known for being a strong proponent of improving the quality of life and support for military conscripts, pushing for various military welfare policies during his career.

A long-time connection of Yoon’s, having attended high school together, Kim has worked with Yoon before and is well-versed in his policy preferences. During Yoon’s bid for president, Kim closely advised him on security and foreign policy issues, including supporting technological integration in military systems. He also led efforts to relocate the presidential office to the Defense Ministry compound in Yongsan for increased security and as part of Yoon’s campaign promise.

Kim’s background has cast him as having an “exceptional understanding of the commander-in-chief’s intentions,” prompting expectations that he will support policy implementation in close alignment with Yoon’s vision of bolstering security against North Korean threats and deepening cooperation with the United States.

Key Positions

North Korea

Kim has maintained the Yoon administration’s focus on enhancing national security against growing North Korean threats and the need “to prepare for the worst-case scenario.” Kim intends to continue the government’s hawkish stance on North Korea, a position reinforced by his past statements warning of retaliation in the case of heightened “provocations.”

On his approach to South Korea’s defense against North Korea, Kim has said US extended deterrence should serve as the basis for responding to North Korean threats but did not rule out South Korea’s nuclear armament, saying “all options are open” if US extended deterrence “alone could not suffice as a nuclear deterrent against North Korea.” This is somewhat contradictory to the Yoon administration’s official policy of addressing the North Korean threat through US extended deterrence, as well as his immediate predecessor Shin Won-sik’s worry over the implications of South Korean nuclear capabilities for the US-ROK alliance. In the past, Kim has acknowledged that North Korea was unlikely to completely denuclearize, and advocated for a different approach that would enable South Korea to respond and protect itself, including options such as the redeployment of US tactical nuclear weapons or indigenous nuclear development.

US-ROK Alliance and Security Cooperation With Japan

Kim Yong-hyun has made clear his support for the upgraded US-ROK alliance and the continued reliance on extended deterrence, despite his interest in keeping nuclear options open. He has emphasized strengthening US-ROK joint training and extended deterrence capabilities against evolving North Korean threats, particularly in the face of escalating military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.

Despite Kim’s position on South Korea’s nuclear options and past concerns voiced about the potential that Japan “will pursue nuclear armament,” Kim is likely to reinforce Yoon’s priority on joint efforts with the United States and Japan to bolster defense against North Korea. He will also likely maintain a positive balance in relations with Japan to preserve the progress made in bilateral relations under the Yoon administration.

China

In line with Yoon’s objectives, Kim supports the installation of additional Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system batteries, arguing that a layered missile defense system is needed against growing North Korean capabilities. Dismissing concerns of Chinese backlash, Kim asserted that further retaliation would be “a clear infringement of sovereignty.”

Pointing to intensifying US-China competition and strengthening the alignment between China, North Korea, and Russia, Kim vowed to build South Korea’s military capabilities to mitigate the varied threats to security on the Korean Peninsula.

Reaction From Key Stakeholders

• Ruling People Power Party (PPP): Kim Yong-hyun’s nomination has been supported by the conservative ruling party, which rejected accusations of his nomination signaling a move towards martial law.
• Opposition Democratic Party (DP): The liberal DP has voiced opposition to Kim’s nomination, raising concerns over his close personal ties to Yoon impacting his role as defense minister, such as being part of Yoon’s larger efforts to consolidate military control. The DP has also raised issues with Kim’s potential involvement in ongoing cases, such as the alleged coverup of a Marine’s death in 2023.
• National Innovation Party: Cho Kuk, leader of South Korea’s third-largest political party, has criticized Kim’s openness to South Korea’s nuclear options, saying that such a move would exacerbate instability in Northeast Asia.

Looking Ahead

The parliamentary confirmation hearing for Kim was held on September 2. This hearing is largely seen as a mere formality, as the president holds the power to appoint ministers outside of the prime minister without approval by the National Assembly. During the hearing, the ruling PPP and opposition DP traded views on Kim Yong-hyun’s qualifications, with Kim himself rejecting attacks as “false propaganda based on misinformation” and maintaining his policy stances on ways to address the North Korean threat and openness to nuclear armament.

President Yoon has pushed forward with the appointment, and Kim took office immediately on September 6. He is expected to play a leading role in continuing Yoon’s security policy centered on deterring North Korean threats through the US-ROK alliance and trilateral US-ROK-Japan security cooperation, and in his inaugural address reaffirmed his predecessor’s stance, vowing to build an “overwhelming” defense posture.