He was born in the Joseon period in Yeongdong, Chungcheong Province, to a yangban family of the Pungsan Hong lineage.

Hong held a number of chief positions under the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea during the Japanese Occupation.

Under his administration as the fourth President, the provisional Korean government was recognized by the Republic of China, France and Poland.

Hong was posthumously honored by the government of South Korea with the Order of Independence Merit for National Foundation in 1962.

His biography by Professor Han, Si Joon contains a detailed family tree of Hong Jin tracing back to Goryeo dynasty's Hong Ji-gyeong, later known as a great master of Korean classical verse in the Joseon period.