Patriot of Independence · Manchuria Theater · Independence Medal (Dongnip-jang) (1963)
| Life | 1882 ~ 1924 |
| Era | 근현대 |
| Clan | 평산 신씨 |
Sin Pal-gyun (1882-1924) came from a distinguished military family of the Pyeongsan Sin clan; his great-great-grandfather, grandfather (a Minister of War), and father all held senior military posts. He graduated from the Korean Empire's Army Officer School in 1900 and was commissioned in 1902, rising to captain by 1907 while serving in the Gangnye garrison.
Together with Ji Cheong-cheon and Kim Gyeong-cheon, both graduates of Japan's military academy, he adopted a new name containing the character for "heaven" (cheon), and the three became known as the "Three Heavens of South Manchuria"; his pen name was Dongcheon. After Japan's annexation of Korea in 1910, he fled to Manchuria, where he trained independence fighters and led armed resistance through the Righteous Army Government and Sinheung Military Academy.
On July 2, 1924, he was shot and killed by Chinese bandits while training independence army troops in Xingjing County; the attack was later revealed to have been instigated by Japan. His wife, Im Su-myeong (1894-1924), took her own life upon hearing of his death, and the government posthumously awarded him the Order of Merit for National Foundation, Patriot's Medal, in 1990.