Retired Army captain elected as new veterans association chief

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Sun, December 3, 2023 | 20:16

Defense

Retired Army captain elected as new veterans association chief

Posted : 2022-04-20 12:59

Updated : 2022-04-20 13:24

Korean Veterans Association President Shin Sang-tae speaks during his inauguration ceremony in the organization's office in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of the Korean Veterans Association

By Kang Seung-woo

Shin Sang-tae, a retired Army captain, has been elected to head the Korean Veterans Association (KVA), becoming the association's first president in its 70-year history who, at the time of his retirement, did not possess the military rank of star.

According to the KVA, Shin, who also served as the vice president of the KVA, earned 252 votes from its 359 representatives to dethrone incumbent chief Kim Jin-ho with 102 votes in an online poll on April 13.

The 70-year-old took the helm, Friday, and will lead the KVA for the next four years.

Shin, a native of Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, is a graduate of the Korea Army Academy at Yeongcheon and led the KVA's Seoul branch from 2009 to 2015. Before joining the military academy, he majored in public administration at Konkuk University in Seoul, where he also earned a master's degree in real estate and a Ph.D. in business administration. He is currently running a small company.

Shin vowed to revamp the KVA, which is now struggling with financial issues.

"Through intensive reform, we will overcome the financial crisis at an early stage and maximize the capabilities of the KVA, the world's largest security group, so as to restore the pride of the nation's 10 million veterans," Shin said in his victory speech.

In his inaugural address, Friday, Shin also stressed the need to bolster solidary to revive the KVA's past reputation, restore healthy and stable finances and unite veterans as one.

ksw@koreatimes.co.kr

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