Lee Han-lim (general)

Lee Han-lim (; 10 February 1921 – 29 April 2012) was a South Korean soldier, entrepreneur, politician, and diplomat. He was born in Anbyun, Hamgyeongnam-do, and his pen name is Jeongam. He's Chang's name is Kazumi Kanrin (香住翰林). He is known for his political neutrality and being the only commanding officer to declare public opposition to the May 16 coup.

He served as commander of the 6th Army Corps, the 1st Army, Minister of Construction, and President of the Korea Tourism Organization. He is a collateral descendant of Lee Seung-hun (李承薰, baptismal name Peter), a martyr of the Sinyu Persecution and the first baptized son of the Roman Catholic Church in Korea.

Career 
He was born on 10 February 1921, the son of Heung-Han Lee, a wealthy middle-class farmer, to a family of devout Roman Catholics in Anbyun-gun, Hamgyeongnam-do. His family is also a collateral descendant of Lee Seung-hoon, who is also the first baptized person in the Roman Catholic Church in Korean history. 

After graduating from Shinkyong Military Academy and studying at the Imperial Japanese Army Academy, he served as an officer in the Manchukuo Imperial Army. He is a classmate of Park Chung Hee at the Shinyeong Military Academy and the Imperial Japanese Army.

After the defeat of the Japanese, the Southern peninsula of Korea was administered by the U.S. military government. On 5 December 1945, he entered the first class of the Military English School and was commissioned on 26 February 1946.

During the Korean War, he served as the commander of the 9th Division and played a major role in securing the 'Iron Triangle' by repelling several Chinese attacks in the Battle of Geumhwa District.

After the Korean Armistice, in 1954 he was appointed commander of the 6th Corps.

Lee was appointed commander of the 1st Army in 1960.

May 16 coup 

In 1961, when he was serving as the commander of the 1st Army, the May 16 coup occurred. He opposed the military's intervention in politics and stood on the opposite line from those who led the military coup of Park Chung-hee. He had prepared to mobilize reserve forces to suppress the coup, but withdrew to prevent a civil war and potential North Korean invasion. Due to his opposition, he was arrested two days later and discharged along with the 5th District Commander and Army Major General Park Ki-byung.

Later career and death 
Lee was exiled and spent some time in the United States. Once he returned, he served a prison term due to his opposition to participate in the military coup.

Afterwards, he was released and served as head of the Korea Water Resources Corporation in 1963 at the request of Park Chung Hee. In 1968, he was the head of Jinhae Chemical. He later served as Minister of Construction from 1969 to 1971, President of the Tourism Corporation in 1972, and as Ambassador to Turkey and Australia from 1974 to 1980.

In 2008, he was included on the list of people to be included in the pro-Japanese personal dictionary compiled by the Institute of National Studies.

He passed away on 29 April 2012 at the age of 91 and is interred at Daejeon National Cemetery.

Personal life 
He and his wife Song Soon-ok, both had two sons and three daughters (the eldest son Lee Seung-hoon, eldest daughter Lee Eun-jeong, second daughter Lee Eun-ju, second son Lee Jae-hoon, and third daughter Lee Eun-gyeong).

Trivia

Establishment of Hwarangdae Training Center at Korea Military Academy 
While serving as a lieutenant general and principal of the Korea Military Academy, he introduced Western American military reforms into the field of Korean military education, and organized formal education in the Army based on the tendency of escaping from Japan in the education of cadets. Taking the lead in reforming the facilities of the military academy, he not only established the Hwarangdae Parade in the ROK Army Corps but also a golf recreation hall, a Catholic and Protestant church, a library, a cafeteria, and a military base within the military academy. Contributing to the expansion of general hospitals and family visit rooms for cadets, it played a significant role as a catalyst for breaking away from the Japanese traditions of the ROK Army education system and introducing western American military culture (later ROK Army Chief of Staff and ROK Army General Min Ki-sik). The general also established a military branch court within the Korean Military Academy).

Korea Maritime and Ocean University Hallim Festival 
After becoming a lieutenant general in the Republic of Korea Army, he contributed to the reorganization of Korea Maritime and Ocean University, and the name of the embankment connecting Yeongdo and Achi Island was named Hallimje after him.

Education 

 Graduated from Manchukuo Fengtian First Middle School
 Graduated from Manchukuo Army Military Academy
 Graduated from Imperial Japanese Army Academy
 Republic of Korea Military English School 1st class
 Graduated from the Republic of Korea Army Infantry School
 Graduated from the United States. Army Infantry School
 Graduated from Korea Army Infantry School
 Korea National Defense University, Bachelor of Public Administration, 2nd class (February 1957)
 University of California, Santa Barbara, Graduate School of Political Science and M.A. in Political Science (August 1962)
 Master of Economics, Department of Economics, Graduate School of Economics, Harvard University, USA (August 1964)
 Master of Public Administration, Korea National Defense University (February 1971)

Honorary Bachelor's Degrees 

 Korea Military Academy Honorary Bachelor of Literature (March 1986)
 Honorary Bachelor of Political Economy, Shenyang University, People's Republic of China (August 1996)

Works

Memoir 

 The Turbulence of the Century (1994)

See also 

 May 16 coup

Notes

External links 
 

 

1921 births
2012 deaths
South Korean expatriates in the United States
Korean people of Manchukuo
South Korean Roman Catholics
People from South Hamgyong Province
Harvard University alumni
University of California, Santa Barbara alumni
Korea Military Academy alumni
Imperial Japanese Army Academy alumni
Second Republic of Korea
South Korean military personnel of the Korean War
Republic of Korea Army personnel
Ambassadors of South Korea to Australia
Ambassadors of South Korea to Turkey
Korean expatriates in Manchukuo