Jang Geuk

Jang Geuk (張勀, childhood name (初名) 張剋, English name Paul Chang, 8 April 1913 – 29 February 2008) was a South Korean aeronautical engineer, University professor, and Writer, and a retired major in the Republic of Korea Air Force.

Biography

Life

His Bon-gwan was Inbong (仁同), and his art names were Hasuk (霞石) and Balro (發露). He was born in Incheon Prefecture, Gyeonggi Province, during the Japanese occupation of Korea (present-day Incheon, South Korea), and spent a brief period of infancy in Junghwa County, South Pyongan Province, during the Japanese occupation, and a brief period of childhood in Gyeongseong during the Japanese occupation. He was the youngest son of Tae-am Jang Gi-bin (太巖 張箕彬), former director of the Busan Customs House of South Gyeongsang Province, and the full younger brother of Un-seok Chang Myon (雲石 張勉, John Myeon Jang, baptismal name "John"), former Prime Minister of South Korea, and U-seok Chang Bal (雨石 張勃, Thomas Chang, baptismal name "Luke"), former South Korean ambassador to Italy.

In March 1948, he obtained permanent residency in the United States, but in January 1949 he gave up his United States permanent residency. One year later, in 1950, the Korean War broke out, and on 10 October 1950 he was commissioned as a Captain in the Air Force and served as a political warfare officer in the Air Force Headquarters Aviation Unit. On 20 November 1952 he was promoted to in the Air Force, and on 3 December 1953, the year the war ended, he was discharged as a major.