Yang Sung-chul

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Yang Sung-chul
Born (1939-11-20) 20 November 1939 (age 83)
Citizenship South Korea
Alma mater Seoul National University
University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Kentucky
OccupationPolitical scientist
Employer(s)Graduate School of International Studies, Korea University
Known forMember of the National Assembly
Ambassador to the United States
Political party National Congress for New Politics
ChildrenTwo
Korean name
Hangul
양성철
Hanja
Revised Romanization Yang Seong-cheol
McCune–Reischauer Yang Sŏngch'ŏl

Yang Sung-chul (born 20 November 1939) is a South Korean political scientist, politician, and diplomat.

Contents

Early life and career

Yang was born in Gokseong County, Jeollanam-do in 1939. He did his undergraduate studies at Seoul National University's Department of Political Science. [1] While in college, he volunteered to serve in the Korean Army from 1960 to 1962 as a student draftee. He began working at the Hankook Ilbo as a reporter in October 1963, but received a scholarship in 1965 to study at the University of Hawaii at Manoa's East–West Center for his master's degree. [2] [3] It was there that he first met Kim Dae-jung, of whom he would go on to become a political supporter; Kim was visiting Hawaii at the time at the invitation of the U.S. Department of State. [4] He went on to the University of Kentucky for his doctoral studies, where he defended a dissertation comparing the South Korean April Revolution of 1960 which led to the resignation of Syngman Rhee and the May 16 coup the following year which brought Park Chung-hee to power. [1] [5]

Upon receiving his Ph.D., he taught at the Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond for four years and returned to the University of Kentucky system in 1975 to 1987 where he was a full professor and a member of the University of Kentucky graduate faculty. He also taught at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, Indiana University in Bloomington, and Pembroke State University in Pembroke, North Carolina. While in the United States, he was one of the founding members of the Association of the Korean Political Scientists in North America and served as its Secretary-General.[ citation needed ] Yang married after moving to the United States, and had two children there. He naturalised as a U.S. citizen in 1977. [1] [6]

Yang returned to South Korea in 1986 as a visiting professor at Seoul National University. Later that same year, he accepted a professorship at the Graduate Institute of Peace Studies at Kyung Hee University, where he was an academic dean until 1996.[ citation needed ] He gave up U.S. citizenship in 1989. [1] [6]

In the National Assembly

Yang was elected to the 15th National Assembly in the 1996 elections. [1] He served on the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee. [7] In 1998, he became acting head of the Jeollanam-do branch of the National Congress for New Politics, replacing Han Hwa-gap (한화갑). [8]

Ambassadorship

Yang (left), Secretary of the Army Thomas E. White, and retired Army Lieutenant General Julius Becton at a 2001 wreath-laying ceremony for African-American veterans of the Korean War Defense.gov News Photo 010723-D-0000D-001.jpg
Yang (left), Secretary of the Army Thomas E. White, and retired Army Lieutenant General Julius Becton at a 2001 wreath-laying ceremony for African-American veterans of the Korean War

In May 2000, just in advance of the first Inter-Korean summit, South Korean newspapers began to report that Yang had been chosen as Seoul's next ambassador to the United States. Yang's appointment was a surprise due to his relative lack of political and diplomatic experience. Stratfor analysed Kim's choice to nominate Yang, along with the naming of four-decade career diplomat and trade expert Hong Soong-young as ambassador to Beijing, as part of an effort to push forward the Sunshine Policy: the posting to Washington of Yang, an expert on North Korean affairs, symbolised the autonomy of Seoul's policies towards Pyongyang, while Hong's role was to improve relations with Beijing and ensure its support for inter-Korean reconciliation. [9] Yang's term as ambassador came to an end in April 2003, when he was succeeded by Han Sung-joo. [10]

Later career

After leaving his ambassadorial post, Yang and his wife returned to South Korea. [10] He went on to become a professor at Korea University's Graduate School of International Studies. [1] He also served as the chairperson of the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation Advisory Committee from August 2007 to 2012.[ citation needed ]

Drs. Sung-Chul Yang and Daisy Lee Yang Lecture Series endowment fund agreement with UH Foundation, dated July 28, 2015(“Original Agreement) and amended gift agreement on June 8, 2021, was to support the promotion and advancement of Korean Studies at the Center for Korean Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Campus. This lecture series was created to invite an eminent scholar of Korean or Asian affairs to deliver a lecture.

Selected works

English
Korean

Honors and awards

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bak, In-gyu (27 December 2007). "고려대 국제대학원 양성철 교수" [Korea University professor Yang Sung-chul]. Pressian. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  2. "Ambassador Visits Santa Fe". Albuquerque Journal. 25 January 2001. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  3. "손숙의 아주 특별한 인터뷰: 양성철 前 주미대사" [Asia special interview: Ambassador to U.S. Yang Sung-chul]. No Cut News . 26 April 2007. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  4. Kim, Seung-hun (23 July 2007). "양성철 전 주미대사, DJ 오키나와 여행 동행기" [Former ambassador to U.S. Yang Sung-chul will accompany DJ on Okinawa trip]. The Dong-A Ilbo . Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  5. Yang 1970
  6. 1 2 Nam, Chan-soon (12 June 2000). "양성철씨 가족의 국적" [Citizenship of Yang Sung-chul's family]. The Dong-A Ilbo . Retrieved 17 October 2013.; quote: "양성철(梁性喆)주미 대사 내정자와 그 가족들의 국적 문제가 시빗거리가 되고 있다. 그는 77년 미국 국적을 취득했다가 12년만인 89년 이를 포기, 한국 국적을 회복했고 이어 15대 국회에 진출한 사람이다." ["The citizenship issues of Yang Sung-chul, the nominee for Ambassador to the U.S., and his family are becoming a matter of controversy. He obtained U.S. citizenship in 1977 and gave it up 12 years later in 1989, and resumed his South Korean citizenship and became a member of the 15th National Assembly."]
  7. "국민회의, 정부차원 北지원 필요성 주장". Munhwa Ilbo . 23 June 1997. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  8. "국민회의 전남도지부장대행에 梁性喆의원 임명" [Legislator Yang Sung-chul takes office as National Congress Jeollanam-do head]. Yonhap News. 23 March 1998. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  9. "Seoul's unusual choice of envoys". Asia Times. 27 May 2000. Archived from the original on 25 September 2000. Retrieved 17 October 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. 1 2 "양성철 주미대사 이임" [Ambassador in U.S. Yang Sung-chul leaves post]. Yonhap News. 16 April 2003. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  11. Kwangju High School Alumni Association, http://www.ka.or.kr (Tel:062-234-9300); (Fax:062-222-9708)