| Choe Deok-sin | |
| Native Name Lang: | ko |
| Office: | Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea |
| Term Start: | October 11, 1961 |
| Term End: | March 15, 1963 |
| President: | Park Chung Hee |
| Office1: | Vice-Chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland |
| Term Start1: | ?? |
| Term End1: | 1989 |
| President1: | Kim Il Sung |
| Predecessor: | Song Yo-chan |
| Successor: | Kim Yong-shik |
| Birth Date: | 17 September 1914 |
| Birth Place: | Uiju County, Heianhoku-dō, Empire of Japan |
| Spouse: | Ryu Mi-yong |
| Death Place: | Pyongyang, North Korea |
| Context: | north |
| Hangul: | 최덕신 |
| Rr: | Choe Deok-sin |
| Mr: | Ch'oe Tŏksin |
Choe Deok-sin (; September 17, 1914 – November 14, 1989) was a South Korean Foreign Minister who later defected with his wife, Ryu Mi-yong, to North Korea.[1]
Choe was born in Uiju County, North Pyongan Province. In 1936, he graduated from the Republic of China Military Academy, and served as a Republic of China Army officer.[2] By the end of World War II, Choe had been promoted to colonel.[2] After the war Choe returned to South Korea and entered the national army academy as a second lieutenant.[2] In 1949, Choe entered the United States Military Academy.[2] On July 14, 1950, Choe returned to South Korea.[2] Choe served as a commanding general of the South Korean 11th Division under the United States IX Corps during the Korean War.[2] [3] His division carried out the Sancheong-Hamyang and Geochang massacres. After the military coup, from 1961 to 1963, Choe served as a Foreign Minister and Ambassador to West Germany.[1]
In 1986, Choe relocated with his wife Ryu Mi-yong to North Korea from their exile in the United States, where they had been known for their opposition to the policies of the South Korean military government.[4] Choe served as a chief of the central committee of the Chondogyo religious movement and vice-chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland.[1] [4] Choe's son, Choe In-guk, reportedly defected to North Korea in July 2019.[5] [6]