A Korean man who turned 100 years old this year renewed his driver’s license.
This man is Hang Man Shin, a resident of Anaheim. Having celebrated his 100th birthday on March 22, Shin demonstrated his health by renewing his driver’s license at the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in Fullerton just four days after his 100th birthday, on March 26.
During his first visit to the DMV in five years, Shin not only passed the written test but also the vision, hearing, and color blindness tests, as well as a walking test that involved moving forward and backward. When the proctor announced that he had passed, even the DMV employees, who had been watching him curiously, smiled and congratulated him.
“It’s like a late birthday present,” Shin said. “I’ll drive for another year or two and see how things go, and then I’ll return my license,” Shin added. “I’ve never been in an accident that was my fault,” said Shin, who started driving at age 21 and has 79 years of driving experience.
Aside from being diagnosed with diabetes in his 40s, Shin reports he is very healthy. He attributes his good health to his commitment to overall wellness, including managing his diabetes, as well as to his routine of strength training and walking for an hour and a half every morning.
Shin, a former employee of the South Korean conglomerate Hyosung, left his job after being diagnosed with diabetes and moved to the United States. He ran a motel in Monterey before retiring and settling in Orange County.
BY LAWRENCE SANGHWAN LIM, JUNHAN PARK [lim.sanghwan@koreadaily.com]
