Chae Myung-shin
Chae Myung-Shin was a South Korean army officer who commanded South Korean military forces in the Vietnam War.Career
Chae commanded Skeleton Corps, guerrilla corps during the Korean War, and became the authority on guerrilla tactics of the South Korean Army.
Chae commented on South Korean comfort women units during the Korean War in his memoir Beyond the Deadline published in 1994.Chae served as the commander of South Korean military forces in the Vietnam War. Chae adopted strong tactics for the Vietnamese as an authority on guerrilla tactics, which involved the routine practice of hostage taking and reprisals, while laying blame on the Viet Cong for purported atrocities. Chae's harsh policy caused a serious disagreement with William Westmoreland, the chief of staff of the United States Forces. When the Phong Nhị and Phong Nhất massacre occurred, William Westmoreland several times demanded Chae Myung-shin should investigate. Chae replied the criminals were Viet Cong.
During the Vietnam War, Chae concurrently served as the chief of staff of the South Korean army, and subsequently wrote a Vietnam War memoir titled The Vietnam War and I.Burial
Chae is buried at the Seoul National Cemetery.
