Kim Shin (general)

Kim Shin (Korean: 김신; September 21, 1922 – May 19, 2016) was a lieutenant general of the South Korean Air Force, a Korean independence activist, a politician, and a diplomat.

He was the son of Kim Ku. He spent much of his early life in exile in China alongside his father, older brother Kim In, and grandmother Kwak Nak-won. There, he participated in the Korean independence movement; for these activities he was eventually awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation, grade 5 in 1990. He eventually became interested in becoming a pilot, and enrolled in the Republic of China Air Force Academy. He received training there, in Lahore, British India, and in San Antonio, Texas. He eventually returned to the liberated Korean peninsula in 1947.

He served with distinction in the Korean War, in which he flew in numerous combat operations. Afterwards, he served as Chief of Staff for Personnel and Administration and then as Chief of Staff for the Republic of Korea Air Force Headquarters. He later served as 6th Ambassador to Taiwan, the 21st Minister of Transport, and a member of the 9th National Assembly. In his later life, he worked on the National Conference for Unification chaired the Independence Hall of Korea, and led the Association of Commemorative Services for Patriot Kim Koo.

He died on May 19, 2016, and is now buried in the Daejeon National Cemetery.