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Ahn Gyu-back

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In this Korean name, the family name is Ahn.
Ahn Gyu-back
안규백
Ahn in 2023
Member of the National Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office
30 May 2012
Preceded byChang Kwang-keun
ConstituencySeoul Dongdaemun A
In office
30 May 2008 – 29 May 2012
ConstituencyProportional representation
Personal details
Born (1961-04-29) 29 April 1961 (age 64)
Gochang, North Jeolla, South Korea
CitizenshipSouth Korean
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materSungkyunkwan University
Websitesafe100.or.kr
Ahn Gyu-back
Hangul
안규백
Hanja
安圭伯
RRAn Gyubaek
MRAn Kyubaek

Ahn Gyu-back (Korean: 안규백; born 29 April 1961) is a South Korean politician in the liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). In June 2025, Ahn nominated to be South Korea's defense minister, which would make him the country's first civilian defense minister in 64 years.[1] He has been a member of the National Assembly for Dongdaemun, Seoul, since 2012, and previously served as a party list member from 2008 to 2012.

Early life and education

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Born in Gochang County in North Jeolla, Ahn attended high school in Gwangju, and studied Eastern philosophy at Sungkyunkwan University as an undergraduate before earning a master's degree at the university's Department of Commerce and Trade.[2][3]

Career

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Ahn was appointed deputy floor leader of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, the Minjoo Party's predecessor, on 12 October 2014,[4] and remained in that position for seven months.[5] He was praised by his Saenuri Party counterpart, Cho Hae-jin, who described him as having an "honest and upright" character and "always thinking of his country first".[a] He subsequently became head of strategy and public relations for the NPAD on 23 June 2015.[6]

A ranking member of the Assembly's National Defense Committee,[7] Ahn has been a critic of South Korea's defense policy. In 2011 he stated that draft-dodging had doubled under the Lee Myung-bak administration,[8] and at the end of 2015 he attacked Park Geun-hye's government for signing an intelligence cooperation agreement with Japan and the United States, stating that "it is against all reason to give [Korea's] advanced information" to Japan given its colonial history in the peninsula and continuing territorial claims over the Liancourt Rocks.[9] In June 2015, he introduced a bill to honor the veterans of the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong, an armed confrontation with North Korea that had taken place in 2002.[10]

On 23 June 2025, President Lee Jae-myung nominated Ahn as defense minister, making him the first person not to have previously served as a general to be chosen for the position since 1961.[11]

Notes

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  1. ^ "안 의원을 추천한 조해진 새누리당 의원은 그에 대해 '성품이 정직하고 바르며 언제나 나라를 먼저 생각한다'고 이유를 설명했다."[5]

References

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  1. ^ "South Korea's Lee names first civilian defence minister in decades". Reuters. 23 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  2. ^ 성균관대(학부) 출신 현직(19대) 국회의원 [Current Assemblymen who are former Sungkyunkwan undergraduates] (in Korean). Sungkyunkwan University. Archived from the original on 2016-06-25. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  3. ^ Ahn, Gyu-baek. 프로필 [Profile]. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  4. ^ 새정치연합 원내수석부대표에 안규백…원내대변인에 박완주·서영교 [Ahn Gyu-baek to become New Politics Alliance for Democracy deputy floor leader ... Pak Wan-ju and Seo Yeong-gyo as Assembly spokespeople]. ChosunBiz (in Korean). 12 October 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  5. ^ a b 안규백, 통합의 정치에 적임인 리더 [Ahn Gyu-baek, a leader fit for the politics of unity]. JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 5 October 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  6. ^ "Opposition divided over key post". The Korea Times. 23 June 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  7. ^ "삼성 때문에…" 공사강행 기업 탓 돌린 국방장관 ["Because of Samsung...": Defense Minister turns to blame company rushing construction]. Jejusori (in Korean). 23 January 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  8. ^ "MB정부 3년새 병역기피 두배로" [Draft evasion doubles in 3 years of MB government]. The Hankyoreh. 22 September 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  9. ^ "Intelligence pact derided by the North". Korea JoongAng Daily. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  10. ^ "Defense chief calls 2nd Yeonpyeong Naval Battle victorious". The Korea Times. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  11. ^ Kim, Tong-hyung (23 June 2025). "President Lee picks South Korea's first civilian defense chief in 64 years". AP News.
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