The Marine Corps said on the 21st that Kim Myung-hwan, the 24th Marine Corps commandant (retired Marine lieutenant general), died on the 20th at age 80.
The late former Marine Corps commandant Kim Myung-hwan was born in Seoul in 1946 and was commissioned with the 22nd class of the Naval Academy. After serving as commander of the Yeonpyeong unit, commander of the 6th Brigade, commander of the 2nd Division, head of combat readiness inspection at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), and the 24th Marine Corps commandant and combined Marine commandant, Kim ended his 33-year military career and retired as a Marine lieutenant general.
After retiring, Kim served as president of the Marine Corps Veterans Association; visiting professor at Dankook University, Sogang University, and Baekseok University; and president of the Korea Freedom Federation.
As a platoon leader in the Blue Dragon Unit, Kim fought in the Vietnam War from Sept. 1969 to Oct. 1970, completed missions in major battles in the Hoi An area, and received the Inheon Order of Military Merit and the Republic of Vietnam Silver Star Medal of Military Merit.
While serving as a battalion commander, Kim successfully completed the Wolseong anti-infiltration operation (Aug. 1983) and received the Hwarang Order of Military Merit.
The mourning altar is at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital funeral hall. The funeral service will be held as a Marine Corps funeral on the morning of the 24th at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. The enshrinement ceremony will take place the same morning at the Seoul National Cemetery.