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U.S. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll testifies regarding defense budget requests during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on May 12 (local time). / AFP, Yonhap

U.S. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll has submitted his resignation to U.S. President Donald Trump, CNN reported on the 31st (local time).

An Army official explained that Secretary Driscoll tendered his resignation after briefing President Trump on the current state of the Army.

Secretary Driscoll reportedly had ongoing clashes with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over an overhaul of the Army command structure and personnel decisions regarding senior generals.

A source noted, "Given the tension between Secretary Driscoll and Defense Secretary Hegseth, this decision comes as no surprise."

Another source stated, "In his resignation letter, Secretary Driscoll cited concerns regarding Army reform and 'readiness'—the ability of the U.S. Army to remain prepared for immediate combat deployment," adding, "Secretary Hegseth blocked reform efforts by dismissing generals who discussed military transformation."

From the early days of his tenure, Secretary Hegseth stoked internal organizational tension by displaying distrust toward those around him and questioning their loyalty.

This posture fueled anxiety among colleagues, which escalated particularly into conflict with Secretary Driscoll and threw divisions within the Army command into sharper relief.

Internal discord in the leadership intensified further in April when Secretary Hegseth abruptly ousted former Army Chief of Staff Randy George without disclosing specific reasons. Secretary Driscoll attended a hearing regarding the dismissal of former Chief of Staff George and voiced dissatisfaction over the matter.

Secretary Hegseth dismissed or replaced key Army commanders, a process during which General Christopher Donahue, who led U.S. Army Europe and Africa, was forced to step down.

Secretary Driscoll is an Iraq War veteran and an alumnus of Yale Law School alongside Vice President J.D. Vance. He had been serving as Secretary of the Army since February of last year.

He had also established a relationship of trust and cooperation with President Trump, taking on a role at the president's request last year to help persuade Ukraine and Russia to resume negotiations.

The exact timing of Secretary Driscoll's official departure remains unclear. Typically, the Under Secretary of the Army steps in as acting secretary. The current undersecretary is Mike Obadal, a retired Army colonel and former special operations aviator.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement, "Secretary Driscoll demonstrated exceptional leadership during historic military operations and effectively advanced President Trump's 'Make America Strong Again' agenda by restoring readiness and lethality and assisting with Russia-Ukraine negotiations."

                                                                                                            Park Jin-sook