Former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung's Father Passes Away... Father Was a '6.25 War Hero'

Retired Navy Colonel Choi Young-seop (center) is receiving a commemorative photo with the biography "Colonel Choi Young-seop, Possessing Strategy, Courage, and Virtue," published by the Navy, at his home. (Photo by Navy Headquarters)

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Choi Young-seop (Naval Academy Class 3), retired colonel and father of former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung, passed away on the 8th at the age of 93.

Shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War, on the early morning of June 26, 1950, he played a decisive role in sinking a 1,000-ton armed North Korean transport ship carrying about 600 armed troops attempting to infiltrate Busan by moving southward in the East Sea at the Korea Strait. At that time, he was the deck officer (ensign) of the Navy's first combat ship, the Baekdusan (PC-701). The Battle of the Korea Strait was the Navy's first victory in the Korean War. This is why he is called the 'hero of the Battle of the Korea Strait.' Colonel Choi later participated in major battles of the Korean War, including the Incheon Landing Operation, earning distinguished achievements, and in 1964, he became the second captain of the Navy's first destroyer, the Chungmu.

Born in Pyeonggang, Gangwon Province, he was a displaced person whose entire family moved south after the Liberation Day on August 15. He was famous as a representative family with a distinguished military service record; two younger brothers retired as a Marine Corps colonel and a Navy non-commissioned officer, and all four of his sons served as officers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

The Navy published a biography titled 'Colonel Choi Young-seop, Combining Strategy, Courage, and Virtue' in April, chronicling Colonel Choi's life.

At the time of receiving the biography, Colonel Choi emphasized, "The state must take responsibility for and care for the remaining families of soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country to build a strong military." In 2018, he also generously donated 30 million won for the children of Navy war casualties and deceased soldiers.

Former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung, who is a former Army legal officer, is his second son. One of the deceased's grandsons served as a Marine Corps officer stationed at the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone), and two adopted sons of Chairman Choi were discharged as sergeants.

According to the family of former Chairman Choi Jae-hyung, Colonel Choi passed away early that morning surrounded by family. The funeral parlor was set up at Severance Hospital in Sinchon, Seoul. The bereaved family includes Jae-shin (former president of Korea Development), Jae-min (director of Choi Jae-min Pediatric Hospital), and Jae-wan (professor at Gwangju University). The funeral will be held on the 10th, and the burial site will be the National Daejeon National Cemetery.