South Korea’s sweeping overhaul of senior military leadership represents a decisive effort to rebuild institutional credibility and reassert civilian control after former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed attempt to invoke martial law last year.

The reshuffle announced on Nov. 13 replaced 20 of 33 three-star officers across the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and the army, navy and air force. It follows the removal of all seven four-star commanders on Sept. 1 and marks the second major leadership turnover since the martial law crisis that shook the military last December.

The scale and timing of the appointments underscore the urgency of