SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) — South Korea on Monday appointed a new navy chief and a new deputy head of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC).

Seoul's Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-kyun told a press briefing that Vice Adm. Um Hyun-seong, the current vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), was named as the new chief of naval operations.

Um was described as an expert in naval operations as he served as a strategic commander of the Fleet Command and a commander of the Second Fleet.

Lieut. Gen. Im Ho-young, the current chief strategy planner of the JCS, was appointed as the new vice chairman of the South Korea-U.S. combined forces command.

Im, the ministry said, had strategic understandings and an expertise in the transfer of wartime operational control from Washington to Seoul. He served as a commander of the Fifth Army Corps and an assistant chief of operations at the CFC.

They will be officially appointed on Tuesday after a Cabinet meeting approval.