Choe Deok-sin

Choe Deok-sin was a South Korean politician, diplomat and military officer who later defected to North Korea with his wife, Ryu Mi-yong, in 1986. He was born in Uiju County, North Pyongan Province, in what was then Korea under Japanese rule. His father, Choe Tong O, was an independence activist and a Cheondoist believer who defected to the North during the Korean War. Choe Deok-sin graduated from the Republic of China Military Academy in 1936 and served as a Republic of China Army officer during World War II. He returned to South Korea after the war and entered the national army academy as a second lieutenant. He also attended the United States Military Academy in 1949. He served as a commanding general of the South Korean 11th Division under the United States IX Corps during the Korean War. His division was responsible for the Sancheong-Hamyang and Geochang massacres of civilians in 1951. After the military coup led by Park Chung-hee in 1961, Choe served as a foreign minister and ambassador to West Germany from 1961 to 1963. He later had political disputes with Park and fled to the United States with his wife in 1976. They became vocal critics of the South Korean military government and advocated for the peaceful reunification of Korea. In 1986, they relocated to North Korea, where they were welcomed by Kim Il-sung and given high-ranking positions. Choe served as a chief of the central committee of the Chondogyo religious movement and vice-chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland. He died in Pyongyang in 1989 and was buried at the Patriotic Martyrs' Cemetery. His wife succeeded him as the leader of the Chondogyo party and died in 2016. Their son, Choe In-guk, reportedly defected to North Korea in 2019.