South Korea's veterans ministry has chosen a late Marine Corps commander as next month's Korean War hero for his leadership in front-line combat operations during the 1950-53 conflict, officials said Monday.

The late Lt. Gen. Kim Sung-eun is credited with successfully leading key wartime missions, including retaking a hill held by North Koreans in Changwon, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Aug. 6, 1950, to stall the enemy's advance.

He also successfully led a surprise amphibious landing operation in Tongyeong, 326 km southeast of Seoul, on Aug. 16, 1950, to recapture the city and defend nearby areas from North Korean threats.

For his heroics, the government awarded him the highest order of military merit on Oct. 30, 1951. After the war, Kim served as the fourth commandant of the Marine Corps and the country's defense minister before passing away on May 15, 2007. (Yonhap)