Lee Sang-hee, the South Korean general and politician who served as minister of national defense from 2008 to 2009, died on March 10, 2026, at age 80.
Born in Wonju in August 1945, he was a retired general who also served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. Lee graduated from the Republic of Korea Military Academy in 1970 and from the College of Liberal Arts & Science at Seoul National University in 1974.
General (Ret.) Lee Sang-hee (August 1945 – 10 March 2026) was a South Korean general who was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces and the South Korean Minister of National Defense.