Modernized the weather forecasting system of the Central Meteorological Service by securing high quality weather forecast technology. Prepared a systematic infrastructure for meteorology in Korea by founding the Korea Meteorology Society and the Journal of Korean Meteorology.
(Late) Kook Chae Pyo
Former President of the Central Meteorological Service (1907~1969)
- Academic background
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1925-1931
Dept. of Mathematical Physics, Yeonhee Professional School
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1939-1941
Dept. of Mathematics, Kyoto Imperial College
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1949-1958
M.E., Dept. of Meteorology, Graduate School, Chicago Univ.
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1958-1960
Completed Ph.D. course, Dept. of Meteorology, Univ. of Wisconsin
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- Professional career
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1929-1938
Teacher, Ewha Girls' High School
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1941-1945
Deputy Principal, Ewha Girls' High School
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1946-1949
Vice President, National Central Meteorological Service
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1955-1956
Lecturer, 6th Corps, US Army in California
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1961-1967
2nd President, National Central Meteorological Service
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1963-1968
Founding Chairman, Korea Meteorology Society
President Chaepyo Kook modernized the Korean weather forecast system, established the Korea Meteorology Society, and founded the Journal of Korea Meteorology, making him the pioneer of meteorology who established the basis for the development of Korean meteorology.
Pioneered the field of meteorology alone; first Korean to acquire Ph.D. in the field in Korea
He graduated from the Dept. of Mathematical Physics, Yeonhee Professional School and the Dept. of Mathematics, Kyoto Imperial College during the Japanese occupation and he served at Ewha Girls' High School for 15 years as a teacher. During his service as teacher, he constantly wrote science-related articles for newspapers and magazines as well as delivering scientific information via radio broadcasts. He spoke for the public about natural changes related to the seasons, seasonal events, and atmospheric or meteoric phenomena. That work encouraged the popularization of science.
After emancipation of Korea, President Kook retired from teaching and was transferred to the National Central Meteorological Service, where he started his career in meteorological academia. The institution was headed by Lee, Won-Cheol, the first Sc.D. in Korea who had been his teacher at Yeonhee Professional School. Dr. Kook started in the position of Vice President. During his term of office as Vice President, he took charge of 'Aerological Weather Research' and succeeded in launching a weather balloon that rose up to 23km in the sky, far beyond the 5km. which had been the record during the Japanese occupation. The media rightly recognized this breakthrough as a global achievement by Korea and it laid the foundations for Korean aerospace technological development.
Then President Kook decided to build up his academic expertise by studying meteorology oso as to better serve the meteorological service. He decided to study in the USA. He then entered the Dept. of Meteorology at Chicago University in 1949 where he pursued a master's course, before going on to serve as a lecturer at the 6th Corps of the US Army in California. Then he returned to University of Chicago where he published an academic paper of distinction entitled "On the prediction of three-day hurricane motion," which was supported by the US Navy. The paper was recognized as his thesis for master's degree in 1958 and was considered so outstanding as to be recognized as one of the major achievements in meteorological research by the US National Weather Service.
He continued his study for Ph.D. course at the Graduate School of Wisconsin University, majoring in Agricultural Meteorology. But he was unable to complete the Ph.D. dissertation as he had to return to Korea to take up the position as the head of the Central Meteorological Service.
On his returning to Korea in 1961, the administration of President Park Jung-Hee appointed him as the President of the Central Meteorological Service, succeeding Lee, Won-Cheol. As the head of the service, he made great efforts to convince the government to provide needed equipment for weather forecasting and he introduced new methods for domestic weather forecasting based on his study of modern meteorology in the USA. Specifically, President Kook introduced the 'automatic weather forecaster' which provide automatic responses to weather forecasts via telephone, he established the 'Upper Atmosphere Weather Observatory' which was to observe the meteorological phenomena in the upper atmosphere, and he secured 'weather facsimile' that allowed Korea to receive overseas weather maps on a real-time basis, thus contributing to the modernization of the Korean Meteorological Service.
Developed the 'Kook’s Method’ to make an accurate forecast for a typhoon
President Kook penned a journal article, "Statistical forecasting of the motion and the central pressure for typhoons that might land in Korea, or the vicinity" (1964) that was published by Kyoto University where it was recognized as a dissertation and he at last received his Ph.D. degree; the first in meteorology for a Korean. The paper was an epoch-making one that proposed a new prediction method for a typhoon's path, which had been developed from his study at Chicago University and had been applied to the Korean case. Kook's Method in the paper was known internationally and utilized for weather forecast at that time.
Developed, and administered, the academic programs for meteorology research to serve the next generation.
He led the establishment of the Korea Meteorology Society in 1963 where he served as the founding president. He believed it important to foster future generations of experts and to communicate with scholars who conduct research on meteorology for the development of the lagging field of Korean meteorology. He founded the Korea Meteorology Society with university professors in the meteorology and the technical staff in the Central Meteorological Service for that purpose and he established the Journal of Korean Meteorology in 1965. These activities made him the clear pioneer in the institutionalization of Korean meteorology.
President Kook was the scientist who led the modernized weather forecast technology in Korea and who built the institutional framework of Korean meteorology. He renovated the Korean central meteorology service as a modern agency with state-of-the-art equipment that could provide an academic basis for meteorology by establishing the Korean Meteorology Society. His legacy to the field of meteorology became the basis for Korean meteorology and weather forecasting which now is considered top level and globally recognized.
