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Kim Seung-kyum
김승겸
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 July 2022
President	Yoon Suk Yeol
Preceded by	Won In-choul
Personal details
Born	(1963-04-01) 1 April 1963 (age 61)
Nationality	South Korean
Alma mater	Korea Military Academy
Occupation	Military officer
Military service
Allegiance	South Korea
Branch/service	Republic of Korea Army
Years of service	1982-Present
Rank	General
Commands	Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Deputy Commander of ROK-US Combined Forces Command III Corps
Korean name
Hangul	김승겸
Hanja	金承謙
Revised Romanization	Kim Seung-gyeom
McCune–Reischauer	Kim Sŭnggyŏm

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

Early life and education

Kim was born in 1963 and he entered the Korea Military Academy in 1982 and graduated in the class of 1986.

Military career

After graduating at the Korea Military Academy in 1986, Kim was commissioned as a Junior 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, where he served as an infantry officer in the 3rd Corps. In 1994, Park achieved the rank of Major within the 3rd Corps. 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.

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. On 5 July 2022, Kim became the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, replacing Air Force General Won In-choul.

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

References

1. "Profile - The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff". www.jcs.mil.kr. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
2. 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.
3. 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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• 1963 births
• Living people
• Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (South Korea)