Paik Sun Yup
Encyclopedia
General Paik Sun-yup (born November 23, 1920) is a Korea
n military officer of Manchukuo
and the Republic of Korea. He is known for his service during the Korean War
and the first 4-star general in the history of ROK Armed Forces
. His brother, Paik In-Yeop, also served in the Republic of Korea Army during the Korean War, commanding the 17th Independent Regiment at the Battle of Ongjin
and again in the Inchon Landings.
, on November 23, 1920, the youngest of three siblings with and older sister and older brother, being raised by a widowed mother. In 1925 the family moved to Pyongyang
where it lived under extremely poor conditions in a single, rented room. Unable to feed her family, Paik's mother attempted to take the children and commit family suicide
by jumping from the Taedong River
bridge but was dissuaded from doing so by his older sister.
Paik's mother and sister soon took jobs at a rubber
factory to pay for his schooling. He attended Mansu Primary School for four years before transferring to Yaksong Primary School. After, he spent five years in Pyongyang Normal School, training to be a teacher in 1939.
Instead of getting into teaching, he entered Mukden Military Academy of Manchukuo
. After graduation, he became an officer of the Manchukuo Imperial Army
, and served in Gando Special Force
. He engaged in subduing communist guerrillas in Jiandao (eastern Manchuria
). He joined the Japanese campaign on northern China for ten months from 1944 to 1945.
After the end of World War II
he returned to Pyongyang but in December 1945 fled south since rising communists threatened his safety. In South Korea, he was commissioned a First Lieutenant in the Constabulary, the predecessor of the ROK Army
. He was committed to build the army, crush communist guerrillas, and purge the army of leftists.
broke out on June 25, 1950, he was assigned to defend Seoul
as the 1st Infantry Division's commanding officer. He finally retreated to South Gyeongsang
but made an important contribution to the defense of the Pusan Perimeter, especially to the victory at the village of Dabudong.
On the move north, his 1st Division under the U.S. I Corps became the first to enter Pyongyang on October 19. He was one of the first officers to realize the Chinese entry into the war. He assumed the defense of northwestern Korea but was plagued by a larger Chinese army.
In April 1951 he was placed in command of the ROK I Corps in charge of eastern Korea. He soon found the ROK army insufficiently trained. The army took intensive training while the battle line was fixed. In July he was elected to represent the ROK military at the Kaesong Truce Talk but failed to attain results.
In November, Task Force Paik was set up to destroy communist guerrillas on Jirisan
. The campaign was successfully finished in March 1952. In recognition of the success, he was promoted to Lieutenant General and Task Force Paik was transformed to the new ROK II Corps. Then he was appointed to Army Chief of Staff in July 1952. He devoted himself in building up the ROK army. In January 1953, he was promoted to the rank of general in the ROK army; which made him the first 4-star general in the ROK Armed Forces.
He was appointed Ambassador to the Republic of China
on Taiwan in 1960, to France
in 1961, and to Canada
in 1965. From 1969 to 1971, he served as Minister of Transportation and launched the construction of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway
. In 1970 he faced the hijacking of a Japan Airlines
plane at Gimpo Airport by Japanese Red Army
. He served as the presidents of two national policy companies in sequence. He participated in the construction of the War Memorial at Yongsan, which opened in 1990.
General Paik is the author of From Pusan to Panmunjom: Wartime Memoirs of the Republic of Korea's First Four-Star General, Paik Sun Yup (Dulles, VA: Brassey's, 1992): ISBN 978-1-57488-202-5.
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n military officer of Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
and the Republic of Korea. He is known for his service during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and the first 4-star general in the history of ROK Armed Forces
Military of South Korea
The Republic of Korea Armed Forces or ROK Armed Forces, is the armed forces of the Republic of Korea...
. His brother, Paik In-Yeop, also served in the Republic of Korea Army during the Korean War, commanding the 17th Independent Regiment at the Battle of Ongjin
Battle of Ongjin
The Battle of Ongjin was a part of the Operation Pokpoong that marked the beginning of the Korean War. The ROK 17th Infantry Regiment fought against the DPRK 14th Infantry Regiment and the 3rd Guard Brigade supported by a tank company at Ongjin....
and again in the Inchon Landings.
Early life
Paik was born in Kangsŏ-gun, South P'yŏngan, currently the city of NampoNampo
Namp'o is a city and seaport in South P'yŏngan Province, North Korea. It was a provincial-level Directly Governed City from 1980 to 2004, when it was designated a "Special City" and made a part of South P'yŏngan...
, on November 23, 1920, the youngest of three siblings with and older sister and older brother, being raised by a widowed mother. In 1925 the family moved to Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
where it lived under extremely poor conditions in a single, rented room. Unable to feed her family, Paik's mother attempted to take the children and commit family suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by jumping from the Taedong River
Taedong River
The Taedong River is a large river in North Korea. It rises in the Rangrim Mountains of the country's north. It then flows southwest into Korea Bay at Namp'o. In between, it runs through the country's capital, Pyongyang. Along the river are landmarks such as the Juche Tower and Kim Il-sung...
bridge but was dissuaded from doing so by his older sister.
Paik's mother and sister soon took jobs at a rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
factory to pay for his schooling. He attended Mansu Primary School for four years before transferring to Yaksong Primary School. After, he spent five years in Pyongyang Normal School, training to be a teacher in 1939.
Instead of getting into teaching, he entered Mukden Military Academy of Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
. After graduation, he became an officer of the Manchukuo Imperial Army
Manchukuo Imperial Army
The Manchukuo Imperial Army was the armed force of the Japanese dominated puppet state of Manchukuo, serving as the land forces, along with the Manchukuo Imperial Guards...
, and served in Gando Special Force
Gando Special Force
was an independent battalion in the Manchukuo Imperial Army composed primarily of ethnic Koreans, tasked with suppressing anti-Japanese, anti-Manchukuo, and pro-communist militant groups in border areas between northern Korea and Manchukuo.-History:The Jiandao region of Kirin province in Manchuria,...
. He engaged in subduing communist guerrillas in Jiandao (eastern Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
). He joined the Japanese campaign on northern China for ten months from 1944 to 1945.
After the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he returned to Pyongyang but in December 1945 fled south since rising communists threatened his safety. In South Korea, he was commissioned a First Lieutenant in the Constabulary, the predecessor of the ROK Army
Military of South Korea
The Republic of Korea Armed Forces or ROK Armed Forces, is the armed forces of the Republic of Korea...
. He was committed to build the army, crush communist guerrillas, and purge the army of leftists.
Korean War
When the fightingKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
broke out on June 25, 1950, he was assigned to defend Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
as the 1st Infantry Division's commanding officer. He finally retreated to South Gyeongsang
Gyeongsangnam-do
Gyeongsangnam-do is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Changwon. It contains the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. Located there is UNESCO World Heritage Site Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple that houses the Tripitaka Koreana and attracts many...
but made an important contribution to the defense of the Pusan Perimeter, especially to the victory at the village of Dabudong.
On the move north, his 1st Division under the U.S. I Corps became the first to enter Pyongyang on October 19. He was one of the first officers to realize the Chinese entry into the war. He assumed the defense of northwestern Korea but was plagued by a larger Chinese army.
In April 1951 he was placed in command of the ROK I Corps in charge of eastern Korea. He soon found the ROK army insufficiently trained. The army took intensive training while the battle line was fixed. In July he was elected to represent the ROK military at the Kaesong Truce Talk but failed to attain results.
In November, Task Force Paik was set up to destroy communist guerrillas on Jirisan
Jirisan
Jirisan is a mountain in the southern region of South Korea. It is often considered one of the three most important mountains in South Korea , with Hallasan and Seoraksan being the other two....
. The campaign was successfully finished in March 1952. In recognition of the success, he was promoted to Lieutenant General and Task Force Paik was transformed to the new ROK II Corps. Then he was appointed to Army Chief of Staff in July 1952. He devoted himself in building up the ROK army. In January 1953, he was promoted to the rank of general in the ROK army; which made him the first 4-star general in the ROK Armed Forces.
Later career
Paik successively filled the positions of commander of the First Field Army, the Army Chief of Staff, and the Chairman for the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff until his retirement from the army in May 1960.He was appointed Ambassador to the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
on Taiwan in 1960, to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1961, and to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1965. From 1969 to 1971, he served as Minister of Transportation and launched the construction of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway
Seoul Metropolitan Subway
The Seoul Metropolitan Subway or Metropolitan Subway in Seoul, in Seoul, South Korea, is one of the most heavily used rapid transit systems in the world, with well over 8 million trips daily on the system's thirteen lines...
. In 1970 he faced the hijacking of a Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines
is an airline headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flag carrier of Japan and its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport , as well as Nagoya's Chūbu Centrair International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport...
plane at Gimpo Airport by Japanese Red Army
Japanese Red Army
The was a Communist terrorist group founded by Fusako Shigenobu early in 1971 in Lebanon. It sometimes called itself Arab-JRA after the Lod airport massacre...
. He served as the presidents of two national policy companies in sequence. He participated in the construction of the War Memorial at Yongsan, which opened in 1990.
General Paik is the author of From Pusan to Panmunjom: Wartime Memoirs of the Republic of Korea's First Four-Star General, Paik Sun Yup (Dulles, VA: Brassey's, 1992): ISBN 978-1-57488-202-5.