page_title: Kim Chong-kon
section_title: Early life and military career
hierarchical_section_title: Kim Chong-kon / Early life and military career
caption_attribution_description: The South Korean destroyer ROKS Chung Mu (DD-91) underway, circa in 1966.
context_page_description: Kim Chong-kon is a former South Korean admiral, diplomat and politician, serving as the Chief of Naval Operations, the Ambassadors to the Republic of China in Taiwan, and a member of National Assembly before retirement. Started his military career in 1951, Kim participated several maritime operations during the Korean War and the Cold War, assigned to positions like warship commander, flotilla commander, naval station commander, fleet commander and senior staff in the Navy Headquarters. Kim also gained himself several medals from South Korea and Taiwan for his efforts on military and foreign affairs.
context_section_description: Belonging to the Gimhae Kim clan, Kim Chong-kon was born in Miryang, Keishō-nandō of the Japanese Korea (now South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea) on November 21, 1930, and spent years studying at Jinhae High School. On September 1, 1948, Kim attend the Korea Naval Academy, and was commissioned as an Ensign after graduating with the 4th class on August 31, 1951. In his beginning career as naval officer, Kim was an active chief for PT boat repair during the Korean War, and saw operations with different scale in places like offshore Wonsan, north of the 38th parallel. In 1953, he went to the United States for a six-month study, learning maintenance knowledge at a naval yard in Virginia. He was also awarded the Chungmu's Order of Military Merit with silver star in 1953 for participating the war.
  In 1954, Kim Chong-kon was promoted to Lieutenant and a PT boat leader. During his years as field officer, he assumed command of vessels like LSM-613 Ulleung (울릉; from August 1, 1956 to November 7, 1957) and PCEC-53 Hansan (한산; from July 5, 1962 to August 3, 1963), later a professor at the Joint Forces Staff College (JFCS) in 1964. On April 6, 1966, he became captain of the destroyer DD-91 Chungmu (충무), and saw combat against a North Korean spy ship at night on October 10. Kim, commanding Chungmu on a security mission at Japan Sea, encountered the North Korean vessel on territorial waters between the 38th parallel and Ulleungdo, and sank it with bombardment after a three-hour chase. For the victory of Chungmu, Kim received the Hwarang's Order of Military Merit.
  On January 31, 1967, Kim ended his tenure as the captain of Chungmu, and was assigned to a naval station (해군통제부) as its chief of staff in 1968. On 1970, he officially gained the rank of Rear Admiral lower half, becoming commander of South Korean Navy's 2nd Flotilla. Other major assignments included the commander of Inchon Guard District (1971), Deputy Chief of Staff for G3-Operations, commander of the naval station (1973), commander of the Korean Fleet (1975) and Vice Chief of Naval Operations (1977). On April 16, 1979, he was promoted to full Admiral and was appointed as the 12th Chief of Naval Operations. In 1980 he also worked as a member of the Special Committee for National Security Measures (SCNSM), a junta-like committee establish by coup d'état leader Chun Doo-hwan (who was seizing state power as then-Defense Security Commander).
caption: DD-91 Chungmu, a destroyer commanded by Kim Chong-kon between 1966 and 1967.
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