Lee Myung-bak, President of South Korea, names his security adviser as new defense minister on Friday. This was reported by the Korean media. This has happened in the mid of the tensions that has risen after a deadly artillery attack by North Korea and an impending joint military exercise with USA.

The new minister, Lee-Hee-Won, is a military personnel who advocates a “smart” military able to anticipate and react quickly to North Korea’s unpredictable moves.

He has replaced Kim Tae-young, who quit yesterday. This happened after the criticism about the pace of the capital’s response to the shelling by the forces of North Korea three days ago in the Yellow Sea.

“The exercises will be held on Sunday as planned and George Washington is on its way here to arrive on Sunday, but I wouldn’t say that it is nowhere near here at the moment,” a spokesman for U.S. Forces Korea said on Friday.