Army lieutenant general and Korean War veteran who served as the 23rd Vice Minister of Defense
| Life | 1932 ~ 2023 |
| Era | 현대 |
| Clan | 아주 신씨 |
Shin Chi-gu (申致求, 1932-2023) was a South Korean military officer and public servant of the Aju Shin clan. Born on 16 July 1932 and died on 15 February 2023, he was commissioned a second lieutenant through the Army's Class-A officer course in 1952, fought in the Korean War, and served as division commander, corps commander and commander of the Army Training Command.
After retiring as an Army lieutenant general in 1987 he served as the 23rd Vice Minister of Defense from 31 December 1987 to 12 December 1988. The lead of a wiki article calls him Minister of Defense, but the body gives the tenure and rank as vice minister, so sources differ and he is written as vice minister here.
A Catholic with the baptismal name Bernardo, he is said to have been close to Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan. The Class-A officer system produced officers from enlisted soldiers or general applicants through officer training, and many commanders were commissioned that way during the war. The posts of division commander, corps commander and training commander are major positions in military command and education. Other service details and decorations could not be confirmed in public sources.
After commissioning he fought in the Korean War, and after commanding a division, a corps and the Army Training Command retired as lieutenant general in 1987, the path of a commander who rose through each rank.
He is described as the 23rd Vice Minister of Defense from 31 December 1987 to 12 December 1988. Some introductions say Minister, so when citing, check the original sources such as the Doosan encyclopedia.
The vice minister of defense assists the minister and oversees defense policy and military administration. His appointment right after retiring as lieutenant general is an example of military experience leading directly to policy work, but specific achievements in office could not be confirmed. A wiki article says the Doosan encyclopedia has an entry for him.
His burial place is not given in the sources consulted.
Family details are not covered.