[KS] Death of a wonderful scholar and friend

[Mark Peterson]

Dear Korean Studies list,

Many of you knew or knew of Prof. Song June Ho who worked closely 
with Ed Wagner for many years.  We just got word of his death.  He 
gave many of us great insights into Korean history.  He was always 
generous with his time and was the most gentle and goodly of men.  He 
was the last of a generation, a bridging generation, that marked the 
transition from the days of education of the scholar in traditional 
ways, in classic Chinese, and the scholar of the twentieth century 
who was influenced by the West in a new Korea after the liberation 
from the colonial days.  He was a highly respected professor who 
taught most of his years at Chonbuk National University, and although 
one could get a teaching position in those days without a PhD, he was 
indeed wiser than the vast majority of people who have PhD's.

His diligence was legendary.  He was so precise, so unerring in his 
scholarship.  And when there was a disagreement on issues of Korean 
history, or of matters about traditional society and lineage, he 
would resort to the documents.  No one knew the documents, and no one 
knew Chinese classics, better than Professor Song.  And yet he was 
always ready to share, to help the young student, the graduate 
student, the younger faculty member, or the community member who was 
trying to read the documents of his own family.

I personally benefited greatly from many conversations with Prof. 
Song.  Whatever the issue, whatever the document, whatever the 
article to write, he was always there for me, as he was for so many 
others.  He was always insightful, interested, animated, excited 
about the issue at hand.  Always complimentary of the effort to that 
point, and always ready to help the colleague with the benefit of his 
knowledge and understanding.

We have lost a great friend.  It is almost too much to lose him 
within the short span of time that Professor Wagner left us.  They 
must be enjoying their reunion in the skies now, and talking with the 
authors of the documents, and the players in the history, that they 
had studied.  And we here in the mundane realm miss them both.

Thank you, Professor Song.

Sadly and with great respect,

Mark Peterson