Shin Hyun-hwak (; October 29, 1920 – April 26, 2007) was a South Korean politician who served as the

prime minister of South Korea The prime minister of the Republic of Korea () is the deputy head of government and the second highest political office of South Korea. The prime minister is appointed by the president of the Republic of Korea, with the National Assembly's appro ...

from 1979 to 1980. He was a member of the Democratic Republican Party.

Early life and career

Shin was born in Chilgok County,

North Gyeongsang Province North Gyeongsang Province (, ) is a province in eastern South Korea, and with an area of , it is the largest province in the Korean peninsula. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, and remaine ...

on October 29, 1920. He studied at Daegu High School and graduated in law from Gyeongseong Imperial University in 1943, entering a career as a public official under Japanese rule. Following the establishment of the

First Republic of Korea The First Republic of Korea () was the government of South Korea from August 1948 to June 1960. The First Republic was founded on 15 August 1948, and it became the first independent republican government in Korea. Syngman Rhee was the first p ...

, Shin entered the

Ministry of Commerce and Industry A ministry of trade and industry, ministry of commerce, ministry of commerce and industry or variations is a ministry that is concerned with a nation's trade, industry and commerce. Notable examples are: List *Algeria: Ministry of Industry and ...

in 1951. He was elected part of the legislature of South Korea in 1973, in the Democratic Republican Party.

Government

Shin was the South Korean Minister of Health and Social Affairs between 1975 and 1978, becoming Deputy Prime Minister of South Korea in 1978. While Deputy Prime Minister, he was also minister for the economic planning board. Following the assassination of

Park Chung Hee Park Chung Hee (; ; November14, 1917October26, 1979) was a South Korean politician and army officer who served as the third president of South Korea from 1962 after he seized power in the May 16 coup of 1961 until Assassination of Park Chung ...

, Prime Minister

Choi Kyu-hah Choi Kyu-hah (, ; July 16, 1919 – October 22, 2006) was a South Korean politician who served as the fourth president of South Korea from 1979 to 1980. An independent politician, he served as the prime minister under President Park Chung He ...

became acting

President of South Korea The president of the Republic of Korea (), also known as the president of South Korea (), is the head of state and head of government of South Korea. The president directs the executive branch of the Government of South Korea, government and is ...

. On December 13, 1979, Shin was appointed as

Prime Minister of South Korea The prime minister of the Republic of Korea () is the deputy head of government and the second highest political office of South Korea. The prime minister is appointed by the president of the Republic of Korea, with the National Assembly's appro ...

, as part of the Coup d'état of December Twelfth. Following the coup,

repealed a decree banning criticism of the constitution, as well as releasing dissidents from prison. Following the Coup d'état of May Seventeenth, Shin was deposed on May 21, 1980, in the events that led to the dissolution of the

Fourth Republic of Korea The Fourth Republic of Korea () was the government of South Korea from November 1972 to February 1981. The Fourth Republic was founded on the approval of the Yushin Constitution in the 1972 South Korean constitutional referendum, 1972 constitut ...

and creation of the

Fifth Republic of Korea The Fifth Republic of Korea () was the government of South Korea from February 1981 to February 1988. The Fifth Republic was established in February 1981 by Chun Doo-hwan, a military colleague of long-time president and dictator Park Chung Hee, ...

Later life

Shin remained on the National Advisory Council from 1981 to 1988. In 1986, he gained a position at

Samsung C&T Corporation Samsung Construction and Trading Corporation (; stylized as Samsung C&T) is a South Korean construction and engineering company. It was founded in 1938 as the first Samsung company and was initially involved in construction and overseas trading ...

, becoming chairman in 1987. He died on April 26, 2007, at Seoul National University Hospital, after having been in the hospital since February 2006 due to a backbone fracture.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shin, Hyun-hwak 1920 births 2007 deaths People from Chilgok County Politicians from North Gyeongsang Province Keijō Imperial University alumni Prime ministers of South Korea Pyongsan Shin clan Deputy prime ministers of South Korea