A female lieutenant colonel on Wednesday was tapped as veterans affairs minister, marking the first case of a female official at the post, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

“President Moon Jae-in appointed Pee Woo-jin as minister of patriots and veterans affairs,” Cho Hyun-ock, senior presidential secretary for personnel affairs, said in a briefing.

Pee joined the military in 1979 and has since then served in physically challenging posts such as special forces commander and helicopter pilot, breaking the glass ceiling and setting an example to other women, Cho explained.

She had been dismissed from service back in 2006 after a breast cancer operation but raised objection against the measure and successfully made her way back to the army.

“Veterans policies are the past and the future of national security,” Pee said, pledging to prioritize the needs of veterans’ families at all times.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)