General

Daejang

Daejang is a senior military rank of the Korean Peninsula, used by both North and South Korea. It is considered the combined equivalent of a General and Admiral in other nations...

 (Ret.) Lee Sang-eui, ROKA

Republic of Korea Army

The Republic of Korea Army is the largest of the military branches of the South Korean armed forces with 520,000 members as of 2010...

, was the 35th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Joint Chiefs of Staff (Republic of Korea)

Joint Chiefs of Staff of Republic of Korea is a group of Chiefs from each major branch of the armed services in the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. Unlike his/her United States counterpart, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has Operational Control over all military personnel of the Armed...

 of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.

Prior to assuming the position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2009, he was Commanding General of the Third ROK Army. He became the Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, following his predecessor Kim Tae-young

Kim Tae-Young (R.O.K. Army general)

General Kim Tae-young, ROKA, was the 34th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces and 42nd Republic of Korea Minister of National Defense.General Kim graduated from the Republic of Korea Military Academy in 1972...

's assuming of the Defense Minister position.

However, his tenature as the top South Korean military commander rested less than a year. After the sinking of ROKS Cheonan

ROKS Cheonan sinking

The ROKS Cheonan sinking occurred on 26 March 2010, when the Cheonan, a South Korean Navy ship carrying 104 personnel, sank off the country's west coast near Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, killing 46 seamen...

, he suffered strong criticism of his handing about the incident. He resigned from his post on June 30, 2010.