Who was Yang Kyoungjong? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

South Korean Celebrities Born In March

Died At Age: 72

Born Country: South Korea

Soldiers South Korean Men

Died on: April 7, 1992

place of death: Evanston, Illinois, United States

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1

Who was Yang Kyoungjong and what was his significance in history?

Yang Kyoungjong was a Korean soldier who served in the Imperial Japanese Army, the Soviet Red Army, and the German Wehrmacht during World War II, making him a unique figure in history for having fought for three different countries.
2

What battles did Yang Kyoungjong participate in during World War II?

Yang Kyoungjong participated in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol while serving with the Imperial Japanese Army, the Battle of Moscow while serving with the Soviet Red Army, and the D-Day invasion at Normandy while serving with the German Wehrmacht.
3

How was Yang Kyoungjong captured by the Allies during World War II?

Yang Kyoungjong was captured by the US Army during the D-Day invasion in 1944, after being found in a German uniform. He was initially mistaken for being a Japanese soldier due to his Asian appearance.
4

Did Yang Kyoungjong survive World War II and what happened to him afterwards?

Yang Kyoungjong survived World War II and was held as a prisoner of war by the Allies. He was eventually released and returned to his homeland of Korea, where he lived a quiet life away from the spotlight.
5

What is the legacy of Yang Kyoungjong and how is he remembered today?

Yang Kyoungjong is remembered as a symbol of the complexities and tragedies of war, having been forced to fight for different sides due to historical circumstances. His story serves as a reminder of the human cost of conflict and the importance of peace.

Childhood & Early Life

He was born on March 3, 1920, in Korea Japanese Protectorate, Empire of Japan (present day North Korea). There is hardly any information available on the life of this Korean soldier before his service to three sides during the Second World War including his childhood, family background and education. It is only known that he was living in Japanese controlled Manchuria at the very onset of the war.

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Career

While in Manchuria, in 1938, at a time when Japan ruled Korea, the 18 years old Yang was drafted into the largest and most renowned command in the Imperial Japanese Army, the Kwantung Army, to fight against the Soviet Union.

The Soviet–Japanese border conflicts, more famous as the Battle of Khalkhin Gol, that was fought among the Soviet Union, Mongolia, Japan and Manchukuo from May 11, 1939 to September 15, 1939 and resulted in a Soviet and Mongolian victory saw Yang being captured by the Soviet Red Army. He was sent to a forced-labor camp in the Soviet Union.

Lack of adequate manpower to fight against Nazi Germany led the Soviets to press thousands of prisoners including Yang to fight in the Red Army in 1942. Sent to the Eastern Front of the Second World War, Yang served the Soviets for around a year becoming part of different engagements.

The Third Battle of Kharkov, a series of battles fought between the Red Army and the German Army Group South on the Eastern Front from February 19, 1943 to March 15, 1943 that resulted in a German victory saw Yang being captured by the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany, Wehrmacht, in eastern Ukraine.

The Wehrmacht had a practice of using non-German forces in the war. Those prisoners who were not executed by the Nazis were permitted to volunteer to serve the Wehrmacht. Such practice of the Nazis led Yang, the Korean soldier who had already served two different nations in the Second World War to serve the Germans as well. With this he earned the repute of becoming the only soldier to serve three different nations in the Second World War.

He was enlisted in the Ost-Bataillone (Eastern Battalions), a military unit in the Heer (army) of Nazi Germany that included personnel from nations comprising the Soviet Union. He was designated to serve in a unit of former Soviet prisoners of war on the Cotentin peninsula in Normandy, near the Utah Beach and was thus sent to Occupied France.

The largest seaborne invasion in history, the landing operations of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord, the Normandy landings, also referred as the D-Day landings occurred on June 6, 1944. Following such invasion Yang fell in the hands of the United States Army paratroopers.

The United States Army officer Robert Brewer from the E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division initially reported that following the Utah Beach landings four Asians in German uniform were captured by his regiment.

The Americans were unable to communicate with the four men captured including Yang who were taken to be Japanese soldiers in German uniform. It was later discovered that Yang was a Korean while the other three men were from Turkestan. Yang was transferred to a British prison camp and thereafter moved to a camp in the US.

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The United States Army released him from captivity after the Second World War ended in September 1945.

Personal Life & Legacy

Following his release from captivity, Yang chose to stay in the United States instead of returning back to Korea. He moved to the state of Illinois in the Midwestern region of the United States and settled there for good.

Not much is known about the pursuits of this war veteran after the Second World War who is known to have led a quiet life in Illinois and breathed his last in Evanston, Illinois, on April 7, 1992 when he was 72 years old.

A controversy spurted when a documentary was broadcast by the Seoul Broadcasting System in December 2005. The subject of the documentary dealt with the presence of Nazi Germany served Asian soldiers who were captured by the Allied forces. While concluding, the documentary conveyed that even though Asian soldiers served Nazi Germany during the Second World War, presence of Yang Kyoungjong is not manifested by any clear proof.

The December 21, 2011, released South Korean wartime action drama film ‘My Way’ that had South Korean actor Jang Dong-gun, Chinese actress Fan Bingbing and Japanese actor Joe Odagiri in starring roles was based on Yang’s war experience.

Facts About Yang Kyoungjong

Yang Kyoungjong was a Korean man who was conscripted into three different armies during World War II, serving in the Japanese, Soviet, and German armies.

Despite being captured by the Allies during the D-Day invasion, Yang survived the war and eventually settled in the United States.

Yang's unique experience of serving in multiple armies during the war has made him a subject of interest and study among historians and military enthusiasts.

His story serves as a reminder of the complexities and human experiences during times of conflict, showcasing the individual struggles and resilience of those caught in the midst of war.

Yang Kyoungjong's remarkable journey has inspired discussions about identity, loyalty, and the impact of war on individuals, highlighting the diverse and often overlooked stories of those who lived through such turbulent times.

Yang Kyoungjong Biography

You wanted to know

Who was Yang Kyoungjong and what was his significance in history?

What battles did Yang Kyoungjong participate in during World War II?

How was Yang Kyoungjong captured by the Allies during World War II?

Did Yang Kyoungjong survive World War II and what happened to him afterwards?

What is the legacy of Yang Kyoungjong and how is he remembered today?