South Korea said Thursday it has picked Choi Hyun-soo, a female journalist, as the defense ministry's spokesperson.
It's unprecedented for a female reporter to be installed in the position, a move that reflects the Moon Jae-in administration's resolve for the reform and civilian control of the military, according to the Ministry of National Defense.
Choi, a veteran journalist at the Kukmin Ilbo newspaper, is replacing Moon Sang-gyun, who is retiring.
She became the first female defense ministry correspondent in 2002. She has worked as a military news specialist at the newspaper based in Seoul since 2009.
She received the Choi Eun-Hee Female Journalist Award in 2011 in recognition of her accomplishments in the local defense news sector, where it was not common for reporters to be female.
She graduated from Yonsei University in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and diplomacy and later earned a Master of Arts in international relations at the University of Chicago. (Yonhap)