South Korea's Lee Names First Civilian Defense, Foreign, Unification Ministers

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has nominated key figures for his Cabinet, including former Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun as foreign minister and veteran lawmaker Ahn Gyu-back as defense minister, marking the first civilian appointment to the defense post since 1961. Ahn, a five-term member of the National Assembly with extensive experience on the defense subcommittee, is expected to lead military reforms following the controversial martial law attempt under former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Cho Hyun served under the Moon Jae-in administration and as South Korea's ambassador to the United Nations. Lee also nominated Chung Dong-young, a former unification minister and advocate for inter-Korean diplomacy, to lead the unification ministry, where he previously served in 2004-2005 and played a key role in the Kaesong Industrial Complex project. These appointments come as Lee aims to restore public trust in the military, strengthen diplomacy, and address inter-Korean relations amid domestic political divisions. The nominees will undergo parliamentary confirmation hearings, and Lee continues to build his Cabinet following his election in June after Yoon's impeachment over the martial law incident.