Kim Jaegyu - Early Life

Early Life

Kim was born in Park Chung-hee's hometown, Gumi-si in South Korean province of Gyeongsangbuk-do during the Japanese occupation. He graduated from Gyeongbuk University in 1945 and became a middle school teacher until the newly-independent South Korean government established its military and created Korea Military Academy, then called Joseon Defense Academy. He graduated from Joseon Defense Academy in December 1946, the same year as Park Chung-hee, and from Army College in 1952. He served as a regimental commander in 1954 and as the vice-president of Army College in 1957, where Kim Gye-won was the president at the time. (Later Kim Gye-won became Chief Secretary to President Park and was present at the scene of assassination.) In 1961, when Park Chung-hee staged a military coup to seize power, Kim did not participate in the coup and was suspected of being a counterrevolutionary. He was temporarily detained until he was released on Park's order. Since then, he served Park's military dictatorship until his assassination of Park in 1979.