Kim Seung-kyum
김승겸
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
In office
5 July 2022  25 November 2023
PresidentYoon Suk Yeol
Preceded byWon In-choul
Succeeded byKim Myung-soo
Personal details
Born (1963-04-12) 12 April 1963
Seocheon, South Chungcheong Province, South Korea
Alma materKorea Military Academy
OccupationMilitary officer
AwardsEulji Order of Military Merit
Military service
Allegiance South Korea
Branch/service Republic of Korea Army
Years of service1982-2023
Rank General
Commands
Battles/warsKorean Conflict
Korean name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationKim Seung-gyeom
McCune–ReischauerKim Sŭnggyŏm

Kim Seung-kyum (Korean: 김승겸; born April 12, 1963), is a South Korean Army General who is previous serving as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on July 5, 2022 to November 25, 2023. Prior to becoming JCS chairman, Kim was the ROK-US Combined Forces Command Deputy Commander.

Early life and education

Kim Seung-kyum was born on April 12, 1963, in Seocheon, South Chungcheong Province, to a military family. His father was a lieutenant colonel in the reserves. He graduated from Osan High School, in Seoul.[1][2] He entered the Korea Military Academy in 1982 and graduated in the class of 1986.[3]

Military career

After graduating at the Korea Military Academy in 1986, Kim was commissioned as a second lieutenant, he has served in various key military posts, including the vice Army chief of staff and the head of the 3rd Corps.

His service led to his promotion to the rank of Captain in 1987. He served as an infantry officer in the 3rd Infantry Division. In 1992, his unit responded to a North Korean border incursion near Cheorwon, killing two North Korean intruders. For his role as the company commander, Captain Kim was awarded the Eulji Order of Military Merit.[4][5] In 1994, Kim achieved the rank of Major within the 3rd Infantry Division. In 2006, he received a promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In 2008, he further advanced in rank to Colonel. Kim had risen to the rank of Brigadier General in 2012. In 2015, he was promoted to Major General. He was later promoted to Lieutenant General in 2017. In 2021, he received a last promotion to the rank of four-star rank of General.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

On 25 May 2022, he was named as the next chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). Kim was replaced by General Ahn Byung-Seok in Kim's role as the Deputy Commander of ROK/US Combined Forces Command.[6] On 5 July 2022, Kim became the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, replacing Air Force General Won In-choul.[7]

On 2 March 2023, South Korean top military general Kim Seung-kyum vowed to establish a wartime combined operations posture against rising threats from North Korea, local media reported on Thursday. Inspecting the combined special operations drills between the US and South Korean militaries, Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Kim called on the troops to maintain their capabilities to "strike the enemy's critical facilities without fail," Yonhap News Agency reported, quoting a statement from his office. “Kim stressed the importance of harnessing the capability to strike the enemy's critical facilities without fail, and establishing a wartime combined operations posture by enhancing interoperability between the allies through realistic combined special operations training,” the agency quoted JCS as saying. Kim also spoke about rising threats from North Korea and called on his troops to always prepare to inflict critical damage on the enemy, it said. Kim on Monday inspected joint military drills by South Korea and US special commandos involving AC-130J and MC-130J warplanes. The US had also deployed AC-130J, a heavily armed, long-endurance, ground-attack plane for the first time to Korea. Tensions on Korean Peninsula escalated late last year when North Korea launched at least 60 missiles while South Korea and the US held joint military exercises.

Effective dates of promotion

Promotions
Insignia Rank Year
General 2021
Lieutenant General 2017
Major General 2015
Brigadier General 2012
Colonel 2008
Lieutenant Colonel 2006
Major 1994
Captain 1987

Awards

Eulji Order of Military Merit (1994)

References

  1. "김승겸 연합사부사령관 바이오" (PDF). Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  2. "'무장공비 토벌' 김승겸…尹정부 첫 합참의장에". Seoul Economy (in Korean). 25 May 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  3. "Profile - The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff". www.jcs.mil.kr. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  4. Kim, Jeongmin (6 July 2022). "South Korea's new military chief calls for 'ruthless' response to 'provocations' | NK News". NK News - North Korea News. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  5. "새벽 3시30분 어둠속 잠입/군이 밝힌 북한군과의 교전". 중앙일보 (in Korean). 24 May 1992. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  6. Sang-ho, Song (25 May 2022). "Deputy CFC chief Gen. Kim tapped to lead Joint Chiefs of Staff". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  7. Choi, David. "South Korea's new top general emphasizes 'blood bond' with US troops". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
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