Former diplomat Jung Il-young dies at 89

Jung Il-young

By Jhoo Dong-chan

Jung Il-young, a diplomat-turned-lawmaker and international law professor, passed away Monday. He was 89.

Born in Ulsan in 1926, Jung majored in political science at Seoul National University and studied international law at the London School of Economics and Georgetown University.

Jung came back to Korea in 1959 after completing his Ph.D. degree at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, where he majored in international law.

He served in various governmental posts, including Korean ambassador to France, the vice foreign minister and the president of the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security.

He also became the third president of Kookmin University, serving four years from 1984.

Jung wrote definitive books on diplomacy and international law such as “International Law Problems in Korea-Japan Relations” and “Korea Diplomacy and International Law.”

A funeral service is scheduled for Seoul Asan Medical Center on Thursday.