Myung Chai Chung, Nov. 16, 1916 - Aug. 25, 1996

At the Ocean Divine on Aug. 25, 1996

Myung Chai Chung was born in a house annexed to “Munemi Church” in a small rural town called "Konjiam" near Seoul, Korea. At that time, his father, elder Yoon Soo Chung had started a new church there. He was one of the first Presbyterian missionaries ("Chosa" in Korean) in Korean Christian history.

They were so poor that my father had never brought lunch to the elementary school, but he was not weak all the time because he always sang the hymn "Jesus is all the world to me" which also means in Korean "Jesus is all the POWER to me".

He helped his father after school by binding books which was his father's job both for the church and his family. Later, he supported his father and mother, while he worked as an assistant to a dentist. He studied for himself at home after the work, since he could not pay tuition. He learned English through Bible classes taught by missionary people including the dentist Dr. Booth. In 1945, he passed the bar examination in which just a few people were passed all over the country.

After WW II, he became the legal consultant for the US military government to expel Japanese authority. During the Korean war, he was chased by North Korean soldiers, since he helped US. He hid himself under a roof of an empty house in Seoul. He was in despair. But suddenly he began to read Matthew. 28:20, "I'm with you always." written in Japanese on the main cross wood to support the roof. He was sure of God’ presence and his guidance. He did not fear anything from that gracious moment. In 1952, he got married with Ae Joo Kim.

He faced many political, personal hardships but he has never given up because he has trusted the Words he has read. In 1961, he opened a law office and free counseling center for Christian human right. He used the word "human right" for the first time in the days of military government. He visited USA in 1971, when he was invited by the President Richard M. Nixon to the morning prayer breakfast meeting.

In thousand of legal cases, he fought for the right, against the evil, while helping the poor. One of the most interesting cases was against the Unification church, so called Moonies. Even if there were many life threatening situations, he never gave up and finally won the case.

His life can be summed up as a continuation of struggling toward the perfection. He always says, “Do your best for what you should do, cast the rest on God.” As he is now in heaven with Him, my father eventually won the struggle. That's because Jesus has been with Him and he has been with Him.