Army lieutenant general, 9th Foreign Minister and Cheondoist leader who went north in 1986
| Life | 1914 ~ 1989 |
| Era | 근현대 |
| Clan | 해주 최씨 |
Choe Deok-sin (1914-1989) was born in Uiju, North Pyongan, and belonged to the Haeju clan; he was the son of independence activist Choe Dong-o. He worked as a soldier, politician and religious leader, and crossed to China with his father at about age nine.
He graduated from the Whampoa Military Academy in 1936 and briefly served at the Korean Liberation Army headquarters. Returning in 1946, he entered the Korea Military Academy special class in 1947 and, after serving as its superintendent and as division and corps commander, retired as a lieutenant general. He was the 9th Foreign Minister from October 1961 to March 1963, ambassador to West Germany until 1967, and Cheondoist leader (gyoryeong) from 1967 to 1975.
After conflict with the Park Chung-hee government he moved to the United States (1976 or 1977 depending on the source) and in 1986 went to North Korea with his wife, announcing permanent return. There he chaired the Chondoist Chongu Party and other bodies, and died on 16 November 1989. As commander of the 11th Division he was also relieved in connection with the Geochang civilian massacre, and responsibility for that incident remains disputed.
After Whampoa he served in the Liberation Army, and on returning became superintendent of the Military Academy and a division and corps commander before retiring as a lieutenant general.
He was 9th Foreign Minister (1961-1963), then ambassador to West Germany, and Cheondoist leader from 1967 to 1975, also chairing the Korean council of religions. Achievements included the Suunhoegwan building, though some say his high-handed management provoked the order.
After moving to the US he began visiting North Korea in 1976 and in 1986 went with his wife and obtained residency. He chaired the Chondoist Chongu Party and the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, and was posthumously awarded the Fatherland Unification Prize in 1990, it is reported.
In 1937 he married Ryu Mi-yeong, daughter of independence activist Yu Dong-yeol, and had two sons and three daughters. His eldest son Choe Geon-guk died in Germany in 2016, and the younger son Choe In-guk is reported to have gone north in 2019.