(URGENT) Lee taps Kang Shin-chul, ex-deputy commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, as new defense minister

South Korean President Lee has nominated Kang Shin-chul to serve as the country's new defense minister. Kang previously served as the deputy commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command.

The appointment follows a vacancy in the defense leadership. Kang's background in the joint command structure highlights the administration's focus on maintaining established military cooperation between South Korea and the United States.