The Republic of Korea Navy has appointed its first female command master chief. Chief Master Sergeant Hwang Ji-hyun, who previously appeared on the entertainment program "Real Men," has taken on the role.
According to the Navy Operations Command on Tuesday, Hwang assumed the position of command master chief at the Maritime Operations Headquarters. The command master chief is the most senior representative of non-commissioned officers within a unit, overseeing overall unit operations including personnel and equipment management.
Commissioned in 2006 as a member of the 211th class of Navy non-commissioned officers, Hwang has set a series of "firsts" throughout her military career. She became the first female NCO training platoon leader, the first female in the ship operations branch to be promoted to master sergeant and chief master sergeant, and now, the Navy's first female command master chief.
As an NCO specializing in electronic detection, she served aboard major combat vessels including the destroyers Gwanggaeto the Great, Munmu the Great, and Choi Young, gaining extensive experience in maritime operations. Electronic detection involves using radar and other equipment to track the position and movement of targets, playing a critical role in supporting commanders' decisions during combat. Electronic detection personnel analyze and evaluate information gathered from ships and command-and-control rooms to support operational execution.
She has also played a significant role in training junior personnel. Hwang served as an assistant drill instructor (ADI) at the NCO Training Command from 2007 to 2009, and from 2014 to 2018, she served as the Navy's first female training platoon leader, training approximately 6,000 personnel across 18 NCO classes.
This background brought her public recognition when she appeared as the Navy's first female platoon leader on MBC's entertainment program "Real Men - Navy NCO Special" in 2016.
Immediately before her appointment, she served as a situation analysis officer at the Command and Control Room of the Maritime Operations Headquarters under the Navy Operations Command, analyzing and reporting maritime situations across all Korean waters. She was subsequently selected as command master chief through a rigorous selection process.
"I have continuously challenged myself with the belief that if I achieve my dream, it can become someone else's dream," Hwang said. "I take pride in the expanding role of female NCOs within the Navy." She added, "As command master chief, I will devote myself to unit management so that our personnel can complete their missions with a warrior spirit."
