Won In-choul
Won In-choul | |
|---|---|
| 원인철 | |
 | |
| Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff | |
| Assumed office 23 September 2020 | |
| President | Moon Jae-in |
| Preceded by | Gen. Park Han-ki |
| Chief of Staff of Air Force | |
| In office 16 April 2019 – 23 September 2020 | |
| President | Moon Jae-in |
| Preceded by | Lee Wang-geun |
| Succeeded by | Lee Seong-yong |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 January 1961 Wonju, South Korea |
| Alma mater | Korea Air Force Academy Hannam University |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  South Korea |
| Branch/service |  Republic of Korea Air Force |
| Years of service | 1984-present |
| Rank |  General |
| Unit | Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chief of Staff of the Air Force Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chief Director for Military Support Air Force Operations Command Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Director for Exercise & Training, J37, JCS 19th Fighter Wing Director, Korea Air & Space Operations Center, AFOC |
Won In-choul[1] (Korean: 원인철; Hanja: 元仁哲; born 1 January 1961), is a South Korean Air Force General serving as the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) from September 2020.[2][3]
Before promoted to the head of the Air Force in April 2019, Won had served as the Deputy Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from November 2018.[1][4]
Early life and education[]
Won was born at Wonju and finished high school at the Seoul Jungkyung High School, where he graduated in 1979 and entered the Korea Air Force Academy in 1980 and graduated at the academy as part of the Class 32 in 1984. He also attended various courses locally and abroad. He entered the Squadron Officer School in 1990 at the Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. He returned to the Maxwell Air Force Base and attended the Combined Force Air Component Commander's Course in 2011. He also studied at the Hannam University, where he earned his Master of Arts Degree in National Security & Defense Policy in 2006. He also entered the Advanced Center for Administrative Development at the Seoul National University in 2015, and became a PhD Candidate for Security & Foreign Policy at the Kyonggi University in 2020.[1]
Military career[]
After graduating at the Korea Air Force Academy in 1984, Won commanded various units of the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) and also served at the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also spent his time flying fighters, primarily the F-16C/D (Block 32). Won served as a Secretary to the Chief of Staff, Republic of Korea Air Force and as Director at the Korea Air & Space Operations Center of the Air Force Operations Command in December 2010, and served as the Commander of the 19th Fighter Wing, where he flew the F-16C/D (Block 32) fighter aircraft, based at Jungwon Air Base in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province on May 2012. Won became the Director for Exercise & Training, J37, at the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on April 2014, and became the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the ROKAF's second highest post on October 2015. He became Commander of the Air Force Operations Command, the ROKAF's overall operations command in October 2016, and was named as the Chief Director for Military Support, at the Joint Chiefs of Staff in October 2017.
He became the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on November 2018, and was named as the 37th Chief of Staff of the Air Force on April 16, 2019, before being named by President Moon Jae-in as the new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on August 31, 2020.[5] He officially took helm as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on September 23, 2020, replacing General Park Han-ki. [1] Lee Seong-yong was appointed as his successor as Chief of Staff of the Air Force.[6][7]
Won's nomination is deemed unorthodox as Won is nominated for lower ranking post than Suh Wook, a nominee for new defense minister who joined the military a year later than Won.[3][4]
Effective dates of promotion[1][]
| Insignia | Rank | Year |
|---|---|---|
|
General | 2019 |
|
Lieutenant General | 2015 |
|
Major General | 2013 |
|
Brigadier General | 2010 |
Awards[1][]
Order of National Security Merit (2012)
Legion of Merit, degree of Officer, by the United States Armed Forces (2013)- Presidential Distinguished Graduate Award at Command and Staff Course (1994)
- Presidential Citation (2006)
References[]
- ^ a b c d e f "Chief of Staff Biography". Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF). Archived from the original on 2020-05-15. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
- ^ "Profile, Republic of Korea, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff". Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff (ROJCS). Archived from the original on 2020-10-18. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
- ^ a b 오석민 (2020-08-31). "(2nd LD) Air Force chief nominated as new Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
- ^ a b "Top Air Force general tapped as new Joint Chiefs chair". koreajoongangdaily.joins.com. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
- ^ "Top Air Force general tapped as new Joint Chiefs chair". koreajoongangdaily.joins.com. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
- ^ "ROTC general tapped as Army chief of staff for 1st time". Yonhap News Agency. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
- ^ "Military Names New Army, Air Force Chiefs". TBS. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
- Living people
- 1961 births
- People from Wonju
- Korea Air Force Academy alumni
- Hannam University alumni
- Chiefs of Staff of the Air Force (South Korea)
- Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (South Korea)