Admiral (Rtd) Choi Yoon-Hee

ADM Choi currently serves as President of the Seapower League of the Republic of Korea. Elected in June 2021, Admiral Choi aspires to expand the Seapower League’s role by learning from the foreign counterparts and maritime-related agencies of more advanced nations. In his interview in August 2021, ADM Choi explicitly pointed out the NLUS as a model organization.

At the end of his 38 years of military service in the ROK Navy (ROKN), ADM Choi served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) for the ROK military, working closely with his U.S. counterpart, Commander of the USFK/CFC/UNC, US Army General Curtis Scaparrotti. ADM Choi was previously the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) and became the first person from the ROKN to assume the top military post in ROK military history when his nomination was approved by the ROK National Assembly on October 14, 2013.

ADM Choi began his naval career upon graduation and commission from the ROK Naval Academy in 1977. During his career, he served a tour as the Commanding Officer of the ROK Ship Gyeongbuk from 1998 to 1999. He also held positions including National Defense Officer in the Office of the Chief of Staff of Blue House (1996-1998), Assistant Chief of Staff (N-3 Operations) for the ROK Fleet Commander (2000-2003), Commander of the Component Flotilla Five (2004-2005), and Commander of the Midshipmen Cruise Training Group (2005).

He has also served in various senior-level positions, such as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Personnel (2006-2008), Superintendent of the ROK Naval Academy (2008-2010), and Vice Chief of Naval Operations (2010-2011). He became an admiral upon his appointment as the 29th CNO of the ROKN in October 2011. ADM Choi attended the Naval Staff College of the US Naval War College (1987), the Joint Staff College (1992), and the National Security College (2003) of the Korea National Defense University, and Kyonggi University’s Graduate School of Politics & Policy.