General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

(Ret.) Lee Sang-hee (born 1945),

ROKA The Republic of Korea Army (ROKA; ko, 대한민국 육군; Hanja: 大韓民國陸軍; RR: ''Daehanminguk Yuk-gun''), also known as the ROK Army or South Korean Army, is the army of South Korea, responsible for ground-based warfare. It is the l ...

, was the 32nd Chairman of the

Joint Chiefs of Staff The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, that advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the ...

of the

Republic of Korea Armed Forces The Republic of Korea Armed Forces (), also known as the ROK Armed Forces, are the armed forces of South Korea. The ROK Armed Forces is one of the largest and most powerful standing armed forces in the world with a reported personnel strength of ...

and the 41st

Republic of Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its east ...

Minister of National Defense. General Lee graduated from the Republic of Korea Military Academy in 1970 and the College of Liberal Arts & Science,

Seoul National University Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a national public research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 1946, Seoul National University is largely considered the most prestigious university in South Korea; it is one of the three "S ...

in 1974. His assignments as a general officer were Chief of Force Planning, ROK Army Headquarters (1995-1996), Commanding General, 30th Infantry Division (Mechanized) (1996-1998), Director General, Policy Planning Bureau, Ministry of National Defense (1998-1999), Commanding General, V Corps (1999-2001), Chief Director, Strategy & Plans, Joint Chiefs of Staff (2001-2002), and Chief Director, Joint Operations Headquarters, Joint Chiefs of Staff (2002-2003). He was promoted to 4-star general and assumed command of Third ROK Army in 2003. In 2005, he was appointed the 32nd Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and served in that position until his retirement from the military in 2006. On 29 February 2008, he assumed the position of Republic of Korea Minister of National Defense, replacing

Kim Jang-soo General (Ret.) Kim Jang-soo (; born February 28, 1948), ROKA, was the 37th Chief of Staff of the Republic of Korea Army and the 40th Republic of Korea Minister of National Defense. He was a Grand National Party Representative in the National Ass ...

. He served at this position until 2009.

Awards and medals

* Presidential Citation * Order of National Security "Samil" Medal * Order of National Security "Chonsu" Medal * Order of National Security "Gukson" Medal * Republic of Turkey Armed Forces Merit Award * The United States

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

(Commander & Officer grade)

References

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20071227125004/http://www.jcs.mil.kr/main.html - Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff (Korean) * https://web.archive.org/web/20070728195739/http://www.mnd.mil.kr/ - Republic of Korea Ministry of National Defense (Korean) {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Sang-Hee South Korean generals Living people 1945 births Officers of the Legion of Merit Commanders of the Legion of Merit Korea Military Academy alumni Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (South Korea) National Defense ministers of South Korea