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countrymen, saying in an interview with a Korean consulate, after the founding of the post-World War II
news program, “I feel like my heart has a nail through Korean government. Chang Ji-hwan viewed Korean art
it” (2008). Since emigrating from Korea to the United as an excellent way of communicating and sharing the
States in 1948, Chang has always maintained a close heritage of his country with many in America who were
bond to his native land. He appreciates and understands not familiar with Korean history. The family settled in
the importance of cultural properties and their value Los Angeles, California, where Chester Chang would
to people, having passionately maintained a collection spend many of his formative years. Chang’s passion for
of Korean art and artifacts that has been passed down collecting started, perhaps as many typical American
from his family and that he has added to over the years. boys of the period, with a collection of coke bottles
In many ways his story begins at Namdaemun, having and baseball cards. In his twenties he began collecting
spent his early childhood years living near the site of the art, with a particular interest in pieces from Korea that
Gate and feeling a sense of pride and a close connection would add to his family’s collection. His career as an
to his ancestral heritage. airplane pilot would further enable him to collect pieces
from his travels around the world. Chang received
Chester Chang was born on February 7, 1939, in Jukdong graduate degrees from the University of Oklahoma,
Palace. His maternal great grandfather, Min Young the University of Southern California, and a Ph.D. in
Whe, was a nephew of Korea’s last empress, Queen Min Public Administration from the University of La Verne.
(1851–1895) also known as Empress Myeongseong. In 2009, he was elected to the board of directors of
Chang’s father, Chang Ji-hwan, came to the U.S. as part of the National Defense University Foundation. He also
a group of representatives to help set up the first Korean previously served as a member of the board of trustees

Chester Chang’s parents are pictured here next to the Jukdong Palace gate in Seoul: Mrs. Pung Yoon Chang (left) in 1935 and Mr. Ji-hwan
Chang (right), holding his son Chester as an infant in 1939.

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