South Korea's Army named its first female combatant general Thursday when it promoted a female soldier to the post, the defense ministry said.
 

Army Col. Song Myung-soon at the Joint Chiefs of Staff was promoted to brigadier general, according to the ministry. South Korea's military has turned out five female generals since 2001, but all of them were from the nurse corps.

"For years many my seniors have worked hard to improve the women's forces, and there will be more opportunities for some 5,000 female soldiers in the military from now on," Song told reporters. "I think my promotion is a credit to others who will walk this path and their high efforts."

Song, 52, was commissioned into the Women's Army Corps in 1981 after she graduated from Yeungnam University with a bachelor's degree in political science and foreign affairs. She holds a graduate degree in national security from Kyonggi University. 

She has served as a commander of the special forces and a battalion commander in the Women's Army Corps and worked in the Combined Forces Command.

The first woman to become a general-grade officer in South Korea was Brig. Gen. Yang Seung-sook, former chief of the Armed Forces Nursing Academy, who achieved the rank in 2001 and retired in 2004.

"There are many areas in which women can exercise their abilities in modern day battles," Song said. "I believe that women in uniform not only have a role at home but abroad as well."

"Today's reshuffle will be a turning point in the military. I think that the military will pay more attention to employing and placing female soldiers in the right positions to create synergy," Song said.  (Yonhap News)