New Navy chief vows fight against corruption, sex abuse

New Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jung Ho-sub vowed to stamp out corruption and sexual misconduct in the Navy as part of broader efforts to shore up public trust during his inauguration ceremony.

“Senior Navy officials steeped in old corruptive practices will have to take off their uniforms and leave the Navy,” he said during the ceremony held at the Gyeryongdae military headquarters in South Chungcheong Province.

“The reality is that there has been public distrust toward the Navy due to corruption and sexual scandals involving Navy officials. Bad, corruptive practices will no longer be tolerated.”

The change-of-command ceremony was attended by top defense officials including Defense Minister Han Min-koo, who expressed appreciation for outgoing CNO Hwang Ki-chul’s contributions to the nation’s naval defense.

On Monday, Hwang stepped down from his post over a corruption scandal, wrapping up his 41-year service. His resignation came amid public criticism over a separate high-profile corruption scandal involving former CNO Jeong Ok-geun.

Touching on the readiness of naval forces, Jung said that he would push for “creative and effective” naval operations to maintain a robust maritime defense and win in future battle environments.

Since being commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1980, Jung has served in various top positions including in the Naval Education and Training Command, and the Republic of Korea Fleet Command. He also served as a director of overseas information at the Defense Intelligence Agency.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)