Longtime AP journalist Paul Shin, who covered South Korea's turbulent modern history, dies at 84

San Francisco Chronicle​

09-07-2025

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Paul Shin, whose decadeslong career in journalism, including nearly 20 years with The Associated Press, placed him at the heart of South Korea's most turbulent and transformative moments since the 1960s, has died. He was 84.
Shin, who spent about a decade mentoring reporters at South Korea's Yonhap news agency after retiring from the AP in 2003, had dealt with various health issues in recent years, including a worsening spinal condition. He died Tuesday morning at his home in Seongnam city, surrounded by his family, said his son, John Shin.
Paul Shin, whose Korean name is Shin Ho-chul, landed his first reporting job in 1965 with the Seoul-based English-language daily, Korea Herald, and later worked as a correspondent for United Press International before joining the AP in 1986.
He covered many of the defining events that shaped post-war South Korea, from the era of harsh military dictatorships through the 1980s, to its dramatic economic ascent, the global spotlight of the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the turbulent cycles of confrontation and reconciliation with its war-divided rival, North Korea.
Shin was also part of a team of AP reporters led by Choe Sang-Hun, Charles J. Hanley, Martha Mendoza and Randy Herschaft who spent several years investigating the 1950 killing of Korean War refugees by U.S. troops in the South Korean village of No Gun Ri. The series won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting.
In past interviews with local media, Shin recalled the early challenges of being one of the few international wire reporters in the country, navigating limited access to phones and wireless equipment and racing other reporters to secure telegram lines to file breaking news and claim scoops.
Shin spoke about the challenges of covering the 1973 abduction of pro-democracy dissident Kim Dae-jung, who later became president and won the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to engage with North Korea. He also recalled the tensions between Washington and Seoul following the 1979 coup by Maj. Gen. Chun Doo-hwan, who ruled South Korea with an iron fist until 1987, when massive protests forced his government to concede and accept free presidential elections.
'Until the mid-1970s, there wasn't much internationally relevant news coming out of South Korea beyond tensions with North Korea, crackdowns on opposition parties, and student protests … This inevitably contributed to a negative international perception of the country,' Shin told Yonhap in 2003. 'The news became more diverse after the late 1980s, thanks to developments like economic growth and hosting the Olympics.'
John Shin remembered his father as a 'very warm and responsible person.'
'He frequently emphasized how important it is to communicate South Korea's reality to the world and often expressed hope that younger generations of journalists would continue that role, especially now with South Korea being viewed through a more global lens,' John Shin said.
Paul Shin is survived by his wife, his son John, his daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. The family is holding funeral services at Seoul's St. Mary's Hospital through Thursday morning.