Woo Jang-choon
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| Woo Jang-choon | |||||||
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| Korean name | |||||||
| Hangul | 우장춘 | ||||||
| Hanja | 禹長春 | ||||||
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| Japanese name | |||||||
| Kanji | 禹 長春 | ||||||
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| Alternative Japanese name | |||||||
| Kanji | 須永長春 | ||||||
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Woo Jang-choon (1898-1959) was a renowned Korean-Japanese agricultural scientist and botanist. He was born in Tokyo, Japan. When Korea earned its independence in 1945, Woo left his family in Japan, and came to Korea to lead the country in botany and agriculture. There is a museum in the port city of Busan in honor of Woo.
Early life
In April 8, 1898, Woo was born to a Korean Woo Baum-saun and a Japanese mother Sakai Naka. Woo Bum-saun was the leading general of the first westernized army of Choson, and had sought political asylum in Japan. He was a Gae-hwa-pa movement adhereny, and was mingled into the Eul-mi Sa-byun incident -the assassination of the queen- in 1895. The Japanese government was allegedly involved in the assassination of Queen Min, who had carried out policies against the Japanese, and, although there are controversial viewpoints on the subject, it is apparent that the Japanese government attempted to divert the blame to the Koreans.
Woo Bum-saun was soon assassinated by Go Young-geun, and Woo Jang-choon, then five years old, was left fatherless. His brother was born when Woo was six. Woo suffered from mistreatments common to fatherless children. Sakai Naka left Woo over to an orphanage in a Buddhist temple temporarily in order to make living. Food was limited to potatoes, and Woo was segregated by other Japanese children for being a Korean. For over one year, Woo stayed in the orphange until his mother returned to him.
He attended an elementary school, and studied very hard to earn respect from other Japanese so to avoid mistreatment. In August 1910, Korea was annexed by Japan. Woo was twelve years old. He continued up through middle school with superior academic averages. Most of the talented male students enlisted in the military, but Woo continued with school. To meet his financial needs, his mother sold all of their possessions –even the tomb of Woo’s father. Although everybody around her told to take some more considerations, she believed that this is what Woo Bum-saun would have wished. Courtesy of her friend allowed Woo Bum-saun to be buried in another cemetery.
Although talented in math, Woo had to choose agriculture rather than engineering so that he would receive scholarship from the Japanese government. He began his college career at the Tokyo University in 1916, and the university's professors such as Takeshima thought very highly of him.
Agricultural achievements in Japan
Woo was hired into Japan's Ministry of Agriculture's examination room. In order to further his social life, his mother trained him into getting tolerant of alcohol, and Woo readily invited his friends over. By the age of 23, he had researched on morning glory flowers, and written a paper on the evolution and relationships between the brassica flowers.
Woo served as a tutor to his neighbor's sons, and the neighbor introduced Woo his sister, Koharu. They fell in love, but had difficulty in convincing Koharu's parents for their permission for marriage. In the end, Koharu broke relations with her parents, and they were married. Their first child was a daughter, Tomoko.
With Dr. Terao, Woo published two papers on petunia flowers. Then, Dr. Terao assigned Woo to study further on Petunia hybrida Vilm, which, among the different varieties of the species, could not be completely made into double flower. Half of the flowers would not grow when forced into double flower phenotype. Further work by Woo brought 100% double flower Petunia into reality in 1930, and this earned him international prestige in the scientific community.
Woo returned to studying morning glory flowers, but his papers, nearly complete, were burnt in a fire. Then he pursued the study of genotypes and phenotypes. He was assigned to create new crucifers through combination of different phenotypes. His four years of research led to a successful interbreeding of Japanese and Korean crucifers, and another internationally renowned paper. Doctoral degree was given from the Tokyo University to Woo as an accolade for his excellence. A significant observation in Dr. Woo's paper was that, does evolution happen not only through buildup of beneficial mutations that lead to speciation, but also through exchange of genes between different species.
Many Japanese agricultural study graduates came under Dr. Woo to learn, but were given overwhelming amount of exacting chores. Yet, they all continued up the ranks; Dr. Woo, however, had to stay in the Japan's Ministry of Agriculture's examination room because the Japanese policy during the occupation of Korea was to fetter Koreans from achieving high status. Especially, Dr. Woo had not changed his Korean name to Japanese -a policy aimed to assimilate Koreans into the Japanese culture. And when he was raised, he was requested to change his name; Woo abdicated from his position at the Konosu examination room.
He was hired into the Takiyi research farm, where he improved on seed production method, and agricultural food products through artificial selection. While he concentrated on establishing a solid base for the resources needed for research, he wrote a paper on artificially combining sperms and eggs to improve the quality of the plants. He treated visitors with respect, and fathered four daughters and two sons.
Around the end of the World War II, the Takiyi research farm ran a free educational program for students, and Dr. Woo was the lecturer for Korean students; as Japan began to lose the war, Koreans were forcibly drafted into the army.
Agricultural success in Korea
In August 15 1945, Korea earned its independence; Dr. Woo resigned from his positions at the Takiyi research farm and Tokyo University, and prepared his own place near a Buddhist temple. In Korea, farmers were left no seeds to plant because trade between Korea and Japan ceased, and the seeds were produced only in Japan. The policy was aiming to hinder Koreans from obtaining technological knowledge and to profit from selling the seeds to Koreans at a high price. According with Kim Jong-yi's suggestion on resolving this problem, President Yi Seung-man sponsored a campaign to urge for Dr. Woo's return; Dr. Woo complied, and a team was established to allow Dr. Woo to work as soon as he came to Korea. The team worked to gather money and resources, and established the "Han-Kook Nong-Aub Gwa-Hak Yaun-Goo-So" (한국 농업 과학 연구소) or Korean Agricultural Science Research Institute near the city of Pusan.
Unfortunately, as a Japanese citizen, Dr. Woo was not allowed to leave Japan to Korea. Therefore, he recalled his papers tracing his ancestral lineage from Korea, and went to a Japanese office that searched for illegal Korean inhabitants. The employees were shocked that a worldly renowned scientist would voluntarily bring himself to the office.
In March 1950, Dr. Woo returned to Korea. The team that was assigned to prepare for Dr. Woo's return welcomed him, holding a sign that read "Welcome! Dr. Woo Jang-choon's return home." (환영! 우장춘 박사 귀국.) A few days later, a welcome ceremony was held in Dong-Rae Won-Eh High School, and Dr. Woo delivered a speech: "Unfortunately, I worked for my mother's country, Japan, for fifty years. During those years, I worked for Japan no less than any other Japanese. From now on, I will work for my father's country, my home country, with all of my effort. And I will bury my bones in my home country."
After a trip around the country, Dr. Woo observed the poor conditions of the farms, and concluded that mass production of seeds was imperative. In addition to these desperate circumstances, the Korean War began only three months after Dr. Woo's arrival to Korea. Luckily, Pusan was able to avoid conflicts, and Dr. Woo could work uninterruptibly. Because there weren't much insecticides available, Dr. Woo concentrated on producing seeds that were less susceptible to bugs. Dr. Woo did neglect planting flowers, which seemed to not be a concern for a country in destitute conditions. The research institute became filled with countless beautiful flowers, and many visitors came by to enjoy the scenery.
Once, an American colonel made a visit to the institute, and saw a double flower Petunia. He quizzed an employee the inventor of the flower. When the employee pretended to be unknowledgeable on the subject, the colonel said that it was a Japanese scientist named Dr. Woo. To his surprise, Dr. Woo was a Korean working at the same institute, and the colonel returned with gifts to meet Dr. Woo.
Later, the Korean Agricultural Science Research Institute was renamed "Joong-ang Won-eh Gi-sul-won" (중앙 원예 기술원) or Central Agricultural Technology Research Institute. Dr. Woo also made Korea's first seedless watermelon in process of lecturing.
Dr. Woo received a letter from his wife about his mother's poor health; therefore, he requested the president to allow him to visit Japan but was not allowed. Eventually, Dr. Woo's mother died, and Dr. Woo mourned that he could not repay his mother for all she had done. This made into the news, and there was a nation-wide effort of sending letters and donations to Dr. Woo. As a memorial to his mother and to meet the needs of his employees, Dr. Woo dug a water well near his laboratory, and named it "Ja-Yu-Chaun" (자유천, short for 자애로운 어머니의 젖) or "The Milk of Deeply Loving Mother".
Many crucial decisions during the 1950s were made according to Dr. Woo's suggestions or made by Dr. Woo himself. Such included the planting of cosmos flowers to decorate the highways and railroads. Cosmos flowers disseminate easily, and would not be targeted by farmers to feed the livestocks because they are toxic in nature. One exception was on the topic of introducing hydroponics, in which Dr. Woo suggested sanitary culture instead because it was a much cheaper alternative with the same result; although a hydroponics facility was installed in Suwon, the outcome was poor. The president suggested sending researchers to Japan to learn the secrets of hydroponics, but Dr. Woo said that hydroponics does not require special techniques other than clean water, right balance of the nutrients, and time. Dr. Woo's team established a sanitary culture facility in Seoul (the capital city of Korea), and its success was signified when the US military noted the facility's hygienic products and chose the facility to supply its soldier of fruits and vegetables. Dr. Woo also succeeded in producing germ-resilient seed potatoes.
Illness and death
Around his sixtieth birthday, Woo began to have pain on his arm. He could not mediate the illness with medications and treatments, and the problem worsened. Only Cortison would allow the pain to abate. But the medical professor Kim Joong-hwa recommended Woo for intakes of the medicine only when necessary because the medicine was not complete in its development and negative reactions could be possible. Dr. Woo's stomach and intestines began to worsen, and, although the conditions were tolerable, he was admitted to the hospital after a medical examination. Although expected to be discharged from the hospital within one month, the problems worsened, and the research employees contacted Dr. Woo's wife Koharu about his situation.
The employees at the research institute were taking turns visiting Dr. Woo, and it was the day for the student assigned to the rice plant to visit. Dr. Woo said, "Welcome. How are the rice plants doing? Did you bring one?" Therefore, the student called the employees in Pusan to immediately retrieve the rice plant to Seoul. At the sight of the rice plant, Dr. Woo said, "It grew well. Put it so that I can see it easily." It was put inside a clear vinyl bag and hung.
Dr. Woo's wife Koharu had hard time trying to visit Korea, but eventually succeeded to obtain a special permission from the Korean government. When they met, they were overwhelmed by emotion. Dr. Woo promised that they would be able to live together within two to three years, and tried to look healthy.
At the same time, the Korean government officially acknowledged Dr. Woo's achievements, and the minister of the agricultural department presented himself at the hospital to award Dr. Woo a medal. To his wife and research employees, Dr. Woo said, "To die I have no regret. My motherland acknowledged me." On the dawn of August 10, 1959, Dr. Woo submitted to his fate. He was sixty-two years old. His death made it to the news, and people across the country mourned for his death.
See also
Bibliography
- Woong-jin-we-in-jun-gi #30 Woo Jang-Choon by Baek Sukgi. (C) Woongjin Publishing Co., Ltd. 1987.
- http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2/325
- http://kids.hankooki.com/lpage/study/200502/kd2005022215323345690.htm
- http://www.chungnam.rda.go.kr/cn14/agri/flower/fe/fe23.htm
External links
- http://nihonjustice.hp.infoseek.co.jp/p/uhanzen3.jpg, photograph of Woo with his parents