Suh Wook

{{Short description|South Korean army general (born 1963)}}

{{family name hatnote|Suh||lang=Korean}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| native_name = {{nobold|서욱}}

| image = File:Army (ROKA) Lieutenant General Suh Wook 육군대장 서욱 (UNC-CFC-USFK photo IMG 7352).jpg

| caption = Suh as Army general

| birth_place = Gwangju, South Korea

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|5|12|df=y}}

| alma_mater = Korea Military Academy

| allegiance = {{flag|South Korea}}

| branch = {{army|South Korea}}

| serviceyears = 1985–2020

| rank = 20px General

| office = Minister of National Defense

| termstart = 18 September 2020

| termend = 10 May 2022

| president = Moon Jae-in

| predecessor = Jeong Kyeong-doo

| successor = Lee Jong-sup

| office1 = Chief of Staff of the Army

| termstart1 = 16 April 2019

| termend1 = 18 September 2020

| president1 = Moon Jae-in

| predecessor1 = Kim Yong-woo

| successor1 = Nam Yeong-shin

}}

Suh Wook{{Cite web|title=Republic of Korea Army|url=http://www.army.mil.kr/webapp/user/indexSub.do?codyMenuSeq=219070&siteId=english|access-date=2020-08-28|website=www.army.mil.kr}} ({{Korean|hangul=서욱|hanja=徐旭}}; 12 May 1963), also known as Seo Wook, is a former Minister of National Defense served under President Moon Jae-in{{Cite web|url=https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/south-korean-army-s-chief-of-staff-nominated-to-serve-as-new-defense-minister-1.642954|title=South Korean army's chief of staff nominated to serve as new defense minister|website=Stars and Stripes}} from 2020 to 2022. He is President Moon's first defense minister with an Army background, as his predecessors came from other branches of the Armed Forces.{{Cite web |last=이 |first=치동 |date=2020-08-28 |title=(2nd LD) Army chief Gen. Suh Wook tapped as defense minister: Cheong Wa Dae |url=https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20200828007952315 |access-date=2020-08-28 |website=Yonhap News Agency |language=en}}

Upon the beginning of Moon's presidency in 2017, he was reshuffled to Joint Chiefs of Staff where he served as its chief director of operation before promoted as Chief of Army Staff in 2019.{{Cite web|date=2020-08-28|title=South Korea nominates Army Chief of Staff Suh Wook as new defense minister|url=https://www.nknews.org/2020/08/south-korea-nominates-army-chief-of-staff-suh-wook-as-new-defense-minister/|access-date=2020-08-28|website=NK News|language=en-US}}

From 2011 to 2014 Suh served at ROK-US Combined Forces Command. He then served as commanding general of the First Corps from 2016 to 2017.{{Cite web|date=2020-08-28|title=Army Chief of Staff Gen. Suh Wook named as new defense minister|url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2020/09/205_295132.html|access-date=2020-09-05|website=The Korea Times|language=en}}

Suh is a Korea Military Academy graduate and holds two degrees - a master's in military strategy from the Korea National Defense University and a doctorate in political science from Kyungnam University.{{Cite web|title=Minister Suh Wook Profile|url=https://www.mnd.go.kr/mbshome/mbs/mndEN/subview.jsp?id=mndEN_010101000000}}

Suh was arrested on October 22, 2022, due to covering up facts in the killing of Lee Dae-jun, a South Korean fisheries official who was killed by North Korean soldiers. The Democratic Party of Korea claims the arrest of Suh and Kim Hong-hee who was the Coast Guard chief, are believed to be politically motivated charges. However the government says that there was evidence that the incident was mishandled by officials at the time. Some sources say that the two may have also abused power during the incident.{{cite web |title=Former South Korean defence chief arrested over official killed by North |date=2022-10-22 |website=South China Morning Post |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213081328/https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3196867/ex-south-korean-defence-minister-coastguard-chief-arrested-over-official-killed-north |archive-date=2023-02-13 |url-status=live |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3196867/ex-south-korean-defence-minister-coastguard-chief-arrested-over-official-killed-north}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20221017000739|title=More evidence of mishandling in death of Lee Dae-jun|last=Kim|first=Arin|date=October 17, 2022|website=The Korea Herald}}{{Cite web|url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2022/10/23/national/politics/Korea-defense-minister-Coast-Guard/20221023152626553.html|title=Former defense minister, ex-Coast Guard chief arrested|date=October 23, 2022|website=Korea JoongAng Daily}}

Suh is a Catholic.