Shin Hyun-joon (

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

: 신현준;

Hanja Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom. (, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, wh ...

: 申鉉俊; October 23, 1915 – October 14, 2007) was the first Commandant of the

Republic of Korea Marine Corps The Republic of Korea Marine Corps (ROKMC; ko, 대한민국 해병대, Daehanminguk Haebyeongdae), also known as the ROK Marine Corps or ROK Marines, is the marine corps of South Korea. The ROKMC is a branch of the Republic of Korea Navy respon ...

. He is South Korea's longest-serving general officer, as well as the nation's longest-serving ambassador. Shin is known as "The Father of the Marine Corps."

Career

Shin was born in Japanese-occupied Korea but grew up in Manchuria and served with the

Manchukuo Imperial Army The Manchukuo Imperial Army ( zh, s=滿洲國軍, p=Mǎnzhōuguó jūn) was the ground force of the military of the Empire of Manchukuo, a puppet state established by Imperial Japan in Manchuria, a region of northeastern China. The force was prim ...

during the 1930s. He joined the South Korean coast guard, the predecessor of the

Republic of Korea Navy The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN; ko, 대한민국 해군), also known as the ROK Navy or South Korean Navy, is the naval warfare service branch of the South Korean armed forces, responsible for naval and amphibious operations. The ROK Navy in ...

, as a lieutenant in 1946, during the U.S. military transitional period. Following the failed amphibious assault during the Yosu Rebellion, Admiral Son Won-il tasked Shin with creating a ground combat unit (陸戦隊) within the Navy. he was assigned as one of the core members of ROK Marines and founded ROK Marine Corps on April 15, 1949. Colonel Shin commanded Marines during the Incheon Landing, served as the ROKMC's commandant throughout the Korean War. He voluntarily relinquished the Corps' top position following the war, but remained in uniform until May 1961. Shin headed the ROK Marine Corps from April 15, 1949 until October 15, 1953, being awarded by the U.S. in 1950 with the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

medal including 5 more prizes and decorations that were awarded to him by the South Korean government. President Park Chung-hee appointed Shin to a series of ambassadorship posts. He served as South Korea's first ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco, with additional accreditation to Liberia. He subsequently served as delegate to the World Anti-Communist League. Ambassador Shin served as the first South Korean ambassador to the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

, serving during the reigns of Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul I, and Pope John Paul II.

Later life and death

In his later years, he lived in

Niceville, Florida Niceville is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States, located near Eglin Air Force Base on Boggy Bayou that opens into Choctawhatchee Bay. The population was 11,684 at the 2000 census. The 2010 census population for Niceville was 12,7 ...

. He died on October 14, 2007, in

and was buried at the

Daejeon National Cemetery The Daejeon National Cemetery () is located in Hyeonchungwon-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea. It is South Korea's second national cemetery after the Seoul National Cemetery and is overseen by the Ministry of Patriots' and Veterans' Affair ...

in South Korea. He had two sons, Ong-Mok Shin and Ong-In Shin, and four daughters Cecila LaForet, Soon Mi Shin, Soon Wa Shin, and Maria Abbott. Shin's wife, Ham Hae-ryong, died six years before him in 2001.

Awards and decorations

October 1950 - Silver Star Medal (United States) August 1951- Legion of Merit, Degree of Commander (United States) October 1951 - Order of Military Merit, Ulchi with Gold Star October 1952 - Order of Military Merit, Taeguk with Silver Star December 1952 - Order of Military Merit, Chungmu with Gold Star June 1953 - Order of Military Merit, Chungmu October 1953 - Order of Military Merit, Taeguk with Silver Star February 1954 - Legion of Merit, Degree of Chief Commander (United States) November 1954 - Order of Military Merit, Ulchi with Gold Star December 1962 - Order of Military Merit, Chungmu with Silver Star December 1963 - Diplomatic Service Award January 1964 - Great Band (President Tubman of Liberia) July 1970 - Grand Cordon (King Hassan of Morocco) June 1976 - Grand Cross of the Order of Pope Pius IX (Pope Paul VI)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shin, Hyun-joon 1915 births 2007 deaths South Korean generals Republic of Korea Marine Corps personnel South Korean military personnel of the Korean War Recipients of the Silver Star Ambassadors of South Korea to the Holy See South Korean expatriates in the United States People from Niceville, Florida Sin clan of Pyongsan