Chae Byong-duk

Chae Byong-duk (Korean: 채병덕; Hanja: 蔡秉德; 17 April 1916 – 27 July 1950) was a South Korean army general.

Chae Byong-duk
Personal details
Born	17 April 1916 Heian'nan-dō, Korea, Empire of Japan
Died	27 July 1950 (aged 34) Hadong, South Korea
Nationality	Korean
Alma mater	Imperial Japanese Army Academy
Military service
Allegiance	Empire of Japan (1933-1945)  South Korea (1948-1950)
Branch/service	Imperial Japanese Army (1933-1945) Republic of Korea Army (1948-1950)
Years of service	1933–1950
Rank	Lieutenant General (Posthumously)
Commands	Chief of Staff of the Republic of Korea Army (1949-1950) South Gyeongsang Province Defence Command (1950)
Battles/wars	World War II Korean War Battle of Hadong †

Early life

On 17 April 1916, he was born in Heian'nan-dō, Korea, Empire of Japan (now South Pyongan Province, North Korea). In 1933, he entered the Imperial Japanese Army Academy.^[1]

Military career

During World War II, he served as an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army.

After the liberation of Korea, he joined the Republic of Korea Army.

In April 1950, he started a second term as a Chief of Staff (Rank: Major general).

Following the outbreak of the Korean War, the Republic of Korea Army collapsed rapidly.

On 30 June 1950, Chae Byong-duk was dismissed and he transferred to South Gyeongsang Province Defence Command.

On 27 July, he was killed in action in the Battle of Hadong.^[2]

He was posthumously promoted to Lieutenant General after his death by the South Korean government.

Awards and decorations

• Eulji Order of Military Merit (1952-05-20)
• Chungmu Order of Military Merit (1950-12-30)

Legacy

He is the only South Korean Army General who was in killed in action during the Korean War. (There are some South Korean Army and Air Force Generals who were killed by accident and during the Korean War.^[3])

There is a memorial in Hadong County.^[4]