Kim Ho Jik (16 April 1905 – 31 August 1959) was the first Korean convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and was a key figure in opening South Korea to missionary work of the LDS Church. Kim was also vice-minister of education in the administration of South Korean president

Syngman Rhee Syngman Rhee (, ; 26 March 1875 – 19 July 1965) was a South Korean politician who served as the first president of South Korea from 1948 to 1960. Rhee was also the first and last president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Ko ...

. Kim was born at

Pyoktong Pyŏktong County is a ''kun'', or county, in northern North P'yŏngan province, North Korea. It lies in the valley of the Yalu River, and borders China to the north. Within North Korea, it is bounded by Tongch'ang in the south, Ch'angsŏng in t ...

in what is today North Korea. For a time while a youth, Kim studied at a Buddhist monastery.Denny Roy
“Kim Ho Jik: Korean Pioneer,”
'' Ensign'', July 1988, p. 19. As a teenager Kim moved to

Suwon Suwon (, ) is the capital and largest city of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea's most populous province which surrounds Seoul, the national capital. Suwon lies about south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety". With a populati ...

. He graduated from Suwon Advanced Agricultural and Forestry School (수원고등농림학교) in 1924. In 1925, Kim became a member of a Protestant church and began studies at Tohoku University in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

from which he graduated in 1930. Kim then served as president of Sookmyung Women's University for a time. In 1946, Kim took charge of the Suwon Agricultural Experimentation Station. Kim began work on a doctoral degree at Cornell University in 1949. Palmer, Spencer J. "Kim Ho Jik" in Garr, Arnold K.,

Donald Q. Cannon Donald Quayle Cannon (born 1936) is a retired professor at Brigham Young University who specializes in Latter-day Saint history, particularly early Latter-day Saint history and international Latter-day Saint history. As a young man, Cannon was a ...

and

Richard O. Cowan Richard Olsen Cowan (born 1934) is a historian of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and a former professor in the Church History Department of Brigham Young University (BYU). He was one of the longest-serving BYU faculty a ...

, ed., ''Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History''. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, 2000) p. 613–614. During this time, Kim was isolated from his family, as they stayed behind in Korea, and were affected by the Korean War. Kim was introduced to the LDS Church by Oliver Wayman, a fellow Cornell graduate student who was also a member of the church. Kim was baptized on September 29, 1951.''2008 Deseret Morning News Church Almanac'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Morning News, 2007) p. 450 The baptism was performed in the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...

, the same body of water in which Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were

baptized Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...

in 1829. Kim returned to Korea in 1952. He was appointed vice minister of education by South Korean president

. Other positions Kim held after his return to Korea were a professorship at Hongik College, dean of

animal husbandry Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starti ...

at Konguk University, and the vice chairmanship of the Seoul City Board of Education. Kim also served as president of the National Fisheries College at Pusan. Kim was also a member of the Korean National Academy of Arts and Sciences. Kim's children, Kim Tai Whan and Kim Young Sook, were among the first four people baptized into the LDS Church in Korea on August 3, 1952. Kim baptized his other two children, Kim Chun Sook and Kim Shin Hwan on January 3, 1953.Greg Hill
"Faith of Their Father: Daughters of Korean Pioneer Carry on in His Noble Footsteps"
'' Church News'', October 22, 2005, p. Z11. On August 2, 1955, Kim was

set apart Setting apart is a ritual or priesthood action in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where a person is formally blessed to carry out a specific calling or responsibility in the church. Once a person has accepted the responsibility ...

as the president of the Korean District of the LDS Church by apostle Joseph Fielding Smith. Among those influenced by Kim's leadership of the church was Han In Sang, who became a general authority of the church.Han In Sang
“Take Up His Cross,”
'' Ensign'', May 1992, p. 81. Kim held the position of district president when he died. In about 1970, Kim's widow, Pil Kun Park, joined the LDS Church.

Notes

References

"South Korea Temple Opens A New Era For Korean Latter-day Saints"
'' Ensign'', November 1985, p. 107–08. {{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Ho Jik 1905 births 1959 deaths People from Pyoktong County Converts to Mormonism from Protestantism Academic staff of Sookmyung Women's University South Korean leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Tohoku University alumni Cornell University alumni Academic staff of Hongik University Academic staff of Konkuk University South Korean people of North Korean origin