Gen. Paik Sun-yup, ROKA (Ret.)
General Paik Sun-yup is a retired South Korean military officer. A native of Pyongyang, the growing Communist influence forced him to flee south, where he enlisted in the South Korean Army. When North Korea invaded in 1950, Paik’s took charge of the 1st Infantry Division. His division would later be the first to enter Pyongyang. Paik also developed an intensive training program for underprepared South Korean units. His dedication to military performance and successful campaigns against communist guerillas led to his appointment as Army Chief of Staff and promotion to full general—the first four-star general in South Korea. In 2000, General Paik was awarded the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation’s Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom.
