Chang Myon

Chang Myon, also known as John Chang, built his first career in Catholic education. Born in 1899, he studied in the United States with Maryknoll support and graduated from Manhattan College in education in 1925. Returning to Korea, he taught Korean language and customs to missionaries, prepared an English–Korean glossary of religious terms, and translated Catholic works. He became principal of Dongsong Commercial School in 1936 and remained there until 1947. He also helped establish a kindergarten and argued for expanding Catholic education, including schooling for girls. ¹

After liberation, Chang entered politics, served in the Constituent Assembly, and led the Korean delegation seeking United Nations recognition in Paris in 1948. Chough Pyung-ok was a fellow delegate. Chang then became the Republic of Korea's first ambassador to the United States, representing the new government when the Korean War began. ²

In December 1950, as Chinese intervention forced United Nations troops back, Chang made an urgent appeal to Harry Truman for additional arms and military assistance. Preparing to return home as prime minister, he stressed Korea's willingness to supply manpower and raised the possibility of using Chinese Nationalist troops from Taiwan. Truman reassured him of American support but resisted widening the war through that proposal. ³

His first premiership lasted from 1951 to 1952. He subsequently helped establish the opposition Democratic Party and won the vice presidency in 1956, surviving a shooting later that year. After the April 1960 revolution, he became prime minister of the parliamentary Second Republic. The military coup of May 1961 ended his government. He subsequently faced prosecution and a prison sentence whose execution was waived. He died in 1966. ²