Biography.guide
Home › People › Academic › Kim Ho Jik
Portrait of Kim Ho Jik

Kim Ho Jik

1905 – 1959

South Korean academic

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Kim Ho Jik

Lived 1905 – 1959 (aged 54). Kim Ho Jik was an academic.

Kim Ho Jik (; 16 April 1905 – 31 August 1959) was the first Korean convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and was a key figure in opening South Korea to the church's missionary work. Kim was also vice-minister of education in the administration of South Korean president Syngman Rhee.

Kim was born at Pyoktong in what is today North Korea. For a time while a youth, Kim studied at a Buddhist monastery. As a teenager Kim moved to Suwon. He graduated from Suwon Advanced Agricultural and Forestry School in 1924. During this time, Kim was isolated from his family, as they stayed behind in Korea, and were affected by the Korean War. Kim was introduced to the LDS Church by Oliver Wayman, a fellow Cornell graduate student. Kim was baptized on September 29, 1951, in the Susquehanna River, the same body of water in which Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were baptized in 1829.

Kim returned to Korea in 1952. He was appointed vice minister of education by South Korean president Syngman Rhee. Other positions Kim held after his return to Korea were a professorship at Hongik College, dean of animal husbandry at Konguk University, and the vice chairmanship of the Seoul City Board of Education. He also served as president of the National Fisheries College at Pusan. He was also a member of the Korean National Academy of Arts and Sciences.

On August 2, 1955, Kim was set apart as the president of the Korean District of the LDS Church by apostle Joseph Fielding Smith. Among those influenced by Kim's church leadership was Han In Sang, who became a church general authority. Kim held the position of district president when he died.

In about 1970, Kim's widow, Pil Kun Park, joined the LDS Church.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Education
Cornell University, Tohoku University

People in Kim Ho Jik's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Kim Ho Jik's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Kim Ho Jik?

South Korean academic

When was Kim Ho Jik born?

Kim Ho Jik was born on 16 April 1905.

When did Kim Ho Jik die?

Kim Ho Jik died on 31 August 1959.

What was Kim Ho Jik's occupation?

Kim Ho Jik was an academic.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Kim Ho Jik

· Wikidata: Q6408735

· DBpedia: Kim Ho Jik

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Kim Ho Jik. https://biography.guide/kim-ho-jik/

MLA: "Kim Ho Jik." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/kim-ho-jik/.

Chicago: "Kim Ho Jik." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/kim-ho-jik/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:06 UTC