Won In-choul

Won In-choul (; born 1 January 1961) is a former South Korean Air Force General who served as its Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) from 2020 to 2022 under President Moon Jae-in.

Before promoted to the Air Force Chief of Staff in April 2019, Won had served as the Deputy Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from November 2018.

Early life and education Won was born at Wonju and finished high school at the Seoul Jungkyung High School, where he graduated in 1979 and entered the Korea Air Force Academy in 1980 and graduated at the academy as part of the Class 32 in 1984. He also attended various courses locally and abroad. He entered the Squadron Officer School in 1990 at the Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. He returned to the Maxwell Air Force Base and attended the Combined Force Air Component Commander's Course in 2011. He also studied at the Hannam University, where he earned his Master of Arts Degree in National Security & Defense Policy in 2006. He also entered the Advanced Center for Administrative Development at the Seoul National University in 2015, and became a PhD Candidate for Security & Foreign Policy at the Kyonggi University in 2020. He officially took helm as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on September 23, 2020, replacing General Park Han-ki.

Won's nomination is deemed unorthodox as Won is nominated for lower ranking post than Suh Wook, a nominee for new defense minister who joined the military a year later than Won.

Effective dates of promotion

Awards Source:

Presidential Distinguished Graduate Award at Command and Staff Course (1994) Presidential Citation (2006)