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| Retired Lt. Gen. Chun In-bum / Korea Times photo by Kim Hyo-jin |
By Kim Hyo-jin
"Take care of your men and they will take care of you."
This is the motto of retired Lt. Gen. Chun In-bum, whose leadership style put priority on caring for his soldiers during his 36-year military career.
The former special warfare commander is known as a hero who saved then Joint Chief of Staff Chairman Lee Ki-baik from the so-called "Aung San Terror" in which North Koreans bombed the Martyrs' Museum in Rangoon, Burma, attempting to kill the South Korean President in 1983.
Hearing the sound of the blast, Chun, then first lieutenant serving Lee, charged into the building despite the risk of a second blast.
Chun carried the severely wounded Lee to a nearby hospital where he went through hours of surgery, becoming the sole survivor of the terrorist attack that killed 17 presidential advisers, journalists and security officials on the spot.
But what made him more famous was his unconventional leadership style.
"During my command, my focus was always on the little guys," Chun, who retired from the military on July 31, told The Korea Times.
In the South Korean military, renowned for its tough service and hierarchy, Chun has been noted for his outstanding character.
He was the only general in the military who maintained a Facebook account. Despite tacit pressure from the military to not engage in social networking, he risked criticism from his leadership and fellow officers and kept it open so his soldiers could have a direct means of communication with him.
"It made my command atmosphere clean and clear and in the end it contributed to combat effectiveness of the unit," he said. "Bad apples knew they were not going to be able to get by because I'd not allow that."
Chun paid attention to providing better supplies and raising allowances as part of efforts to improve soldier welfare.
While he was a division commander in 2010, he helped 400 men under his command receive driver's licenses. The driving school was an hour away from the military base and it would take them three months to get their licenses.
Still, he made it happen, taking responsibility for possible accidents on the way to the venue and excusing soldiers from regular training.
"I desperately searched for ways to improve their fortunes," Chun said.
He pushed ahead with the plan despite concerns because he believed "a man with better prospects was going to be a better soldier," he said.
Chun is also a notable military official who has closely managed the relations between the ROK and U.S. army.
He served as the director in charge of transferring exercise operational control in 2008, deputy chief of staff at the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command and senior member to the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission in 2013 to 2015.
Chun won the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) medal this year, becoming the first Korean to receive it. He was decorated for his distinguished services as a commander of the ROK Special Warfare Command.
"I feel very fortunate that I had a successful career and that people are outpouring all the support and friendship which is way beyond my expectation. I'm very, very happy with where I am right now," he said. "I realized my goal in my uniform. So the next chapter of my life goal is the same thing ― making the world a little bit better."
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