Kim Jong-oh (; 22 May 1921 – 30 March 1966) was a South Korean army colonel and general in the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. He was active in the

First Republic of Korea The First Republic of Korea () was the government of South Korea from August 1948 to June 1960. The First Republic was founded on 15 August 1948, and it became the first independent republican government in Korea. Syngman Rhee was the first p ...

and

Third Republic of Korea The Third Republic of Korea () was the government of South Korea from 17 December 1963 to 21 November 1972. The Third Republic was founded on the dissolution of the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction that overthrew the Second Republi ...

. He was the 10th president of the Republic of Korea Military Academy (1952–1954) and commander of the Republic of Korea 1st Army.

Early life

Kim Jong-oh was born on 22 May 1921, in Chūseihoku-dō,

Korea, Empire of Japan From 1910 to 1945, Korea was ruled by the Empire of Japan under the name Chōsen (), the Japanese reading of "Joseon". Japan first took Korea into its sphere of influence during the late 1800s. Both Korea (Joseon) and Japan had been under polic ...

(now (

North Chungcheong Province North Chungcheong Province (), also known as Chungbuk, is a province of South Korea. North Chungcheong has a population of 1,578,934 (2014) and has a geographic area of located in the Hoseo region on the south-centre of the Korean Peninsula. No ...

), South Korea). He went to

Chuo University , commonly referred to as or , is a private research university in Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan. The university finds its roots in a school called Igirisu Hōritsu Gakkō (English Law School), which was founded in 1885, and became a university in 1 ...

to study law in order to help Koreans.

Military career

In 1944, he was conscripted in the

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

while he was attending

. He was appointed as Second lieutenant. After the

Empire of Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...

surrendered, Kim came back to Korea. In 1946, he became Second lieutenant (Service Number 10031) of the Korean Army. The next year, he became Lieutenant Colonel. In 1949, he became a Colonel. As the commander of 1st Brigade, he brought victory against the North Korean Army before the

. At the outbreak of the

, he commanded the 6th Infantry Division. He delayed the advance of the

North Korean Army The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) encompasses the combined military forces of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). The KPA consists of five branches: the Ground Force, the Naval Force, the Air Force, the St ...

for 5 days. In

Eumseong County Eumseong County () is a county in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea, best known for being the birthplace of former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Eumseong Clean Peppers Festival is held in Eumseong-gun, Chungbuk every September. It ha ...

, Kim attacked the 48th Brigade of North Korea. His division killed thousand of men and captured 97 men. For this, Kim was promoted to Brigade General. In September 1950, his division participated The Great Naktong Offensive. But during the offensive, Kim was injured and appointed as commander of 9th Infantry Division. But he was brought back to the headquarters later. In 1952, he was appointed as the commander of 9th Infantry Division and participated in

Battle of White Horse Hill The Battle of White Horse Hill (, )took place during the Korean War. White Horse Hill (Hill 395) in the Iron Triangle, formed by Pyonggang at its peak and Gimhwa-eup and Cheorwon-eup at its base, a strategic transportation route in the central ...

. For 10 days, his division defended the White Horse Hill against three Chinese divisions under 35th Army Corps of China. His division finally made the Chinese Army to retreat. After the

Korean Armistice The Korean Armistice Agreement (; zh, t=韓國停戰協定 / 朝鮮停戰協定) is an armistice that brought about a cessation of hostilities of the Korean War. It was signed by United States Army Lieutenant General William Harrison Jr. and ...

, Kim was appointed as commander of I Corps. Later he became

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the presiding officer of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces Chairman: appointment; gra ...

, and

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

. In 1962, he became

Daejang Jiang ( formerly romanized chiang and usually translated general) is a general officer rank used by China and Taiwan. It is also used as jang in North and South Korea, shō in Japan, and tướng in Vietnam. Chinese People's Liberation Army T ...

, and he retired from the army in 1965. On March 30, 1966, Kim died of lung cancer. His funeral was proceeded in the army headquarters in a Buddhist ritual.

Bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Jong-oh 1921 births 1966 deaths People from North Chungcheong Province Republic of Korea Army personnel Korean collaborators with Imperial Japan South Korean military personnel of the Korean War Chiefs of staff of the Army (South Korea) Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (South Korea) Deaths from lung cancer in South Korea Gimhae Kim clan South Korean Roman Catholics Imperial Japanese Army personnel of World War II Burials at Seoul National Cemetery