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The Three Day Promise: A Korean Soldier's Memoir
The Three Day Promise is an inspiring saga that traces the author’s life from his humble birth in Korea to his medical pre-eminence in the United States. Dr. Chung documents this half-century passage with powerful insights into Korea’s culture and vivid images of its people.
Dr. Chung affords an intimate understanding of the Korean War from his perspective as a soldier. The book deftly transcends a strict study of war by making it the context for examining human values. Out of love, the youthful Chung promises his mother to return from the war in three days. The war that separated his family and his country kept the vow from being realized for more than three decades.
Dr. Chung’s desire for reunion with his mother, reunification for Korea, and recognition for all veterans of this “forgotten war” is eloquently expressed in the book and its goal: He donated all profits to the Korean War Veteran’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. With a generous endorsement by Abigail Van Buren in her Dear Abby column and his own tireless promotion, Dr. Chung has given over $400,000 to the fund, its largest individual donation.
Donald K. Chung was born in 1932 in rural northeastern Korea. The author’s early medical training was interrupted by his involvement in the Korean War. Chung was one of the very few in his front-line combat unit to survive. Unable to rejoin his family in the north following the war, he stayed in Seoul to complete his medical degree magna cum laude. He then came to the United States for training in cardiology. He has authored a number of medical texts and articles.
Dr. Chung affords an intimate understanding of the Korean War from his perspective as a soldier. The book deftly transcends a strict study of war by making it the context for examining human values. Out of love, the youthful Chung promises his mother to return from the war in three days. The war that separated his family and his country kept the vow from being realized for more than three decades.
Dr. Chung’s desire for reunion with his mother, reunification for Korea, and recognition for all veterans of this “forgotten war” is eloquently expressed in the book and its goal: He donated all profits to the Korean War Veteran’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. With a generous endorsement by Abigail Van Buren in her Dear Abby column and his own tireless promotion, Dr. Chung has given over $400,000 to the fund, its largest individual donation.
Donald K. Chung was born in 1932 in rural northeastern Korea. The author’s early medical training was interrupted by his involvement in the Korean War. Chung was one of the very few in his front-line combat unit to survive. Unable to rejoin his family in the north following the war, he stayed in Seoul to complete his medical degree magna cum laude. He then came to the United States for training in cardiology. He has authored a number of medical texts and articles.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
434 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 28, 2008
An amazing and inspirational story of determination and success as well as a fascinating look into North Korea.
July 13, 2025
This was a spur of the moment pick up at a used book store and I had zero knowledge of what it was, what it was about, or anything. It just seemed like an interesting premise of a book written by a Korean about the Korean war!
I was not expecting it to be about the journey of one born in the north, who lived in Japanese controlled Manchuria before/during WW2, and his experiences in the war on both sides before his interesting story about his eventual experiences here in the U.S.
The author deftly combined a basic history of the conflict with his own story woven through it. As things occur at a 10,000 foot level, you also see how he was pulled along, often blindly, simply by happenstance circumstances and the giving and generosity of so many he encountered.
Where the book truly shines is giving first hand experience to what it was like when the communists first came to power, what it was like to serve in a ROK unit, and some key battles of the war from the perspective of a Korean who was part of multiple retreats & routs. It's very different from other books on the Korean war in that respect alone!
Also included is his "chaperoned" return to North Korea to see his sisters and family decades later. It's an interesting view of how things changed, how things stayed the same, and life under totalitarian rule. By being able to go back he is able to get some closure, answer some question he carried with him through the decades, and learn that he may never answer all of them.
The book is well written, has a good flow to it, and there's something for a wide gamut of people - Those interested in Korea, those interested in the Korean War, those interested in his journey to America, those interested in his medical school days, and the compelling story of his mother and family in general.
I was not expecting it to be about the journey of one born in the north, who lived in Japanese controlled Manchuria before/during WW2, and his experiences in the war on both sides before his interesting story about his eventual experiences here in the U.S.
The author deftly combined a basic history of the conflict with his own story woven through it. As things occur at a 10,000 foot level, you also see how he was pulled along, often blindly, simply by happenstance circumstances and the giving and generosity of so many he encountered.
Where the book truly shines is giving first hand experience to what it was like when the communists first came to power, what it was like to serve in a ROK unit, and some key battles of the war from the perspective of a Korean who was part of multiple retreats & routs. It's very different from other books on the Korean war in that respect alone!
Also included is his "chaperoned" return to North Korea to see his sisters and family decades later. It's an interesting view of how things changed, how things stayed the same, and life under totalitarian rule. By being able to go back he is able to get some closure, answer some question he carried with him through the decades, and learn that he may never answer all of them.
The book is well written, has a good flow to it, and there's something for a wide gamut of people - Those interested in Korea, those interested in the Korean War, those interested in his journey to America, those interested in his medical school days, and the compelling story of his mother and family in general.
April 17, 2021
History of a North Korean born near the DMZ, very difficult childhood growing up in Korea. Crossed the line and fought for the south. Seem most Korean didn’t like Communism but were stuck where they were at the time. From what I read the soldiers didn’t really know what they were fighting for they just wanted the war to be over. This soldier did very well in the medical field and came to live in the US.
December 8, 2018
4.5 stars
March 1, 2017
This first-hand account of a Korean man surviving the Korean War is an exciting rare perspective to find. Mr. Chung wrote a sensitive memoir beginning with his childhood in northern Korea and ending with the fulfilling of an old promise to his mother as he returns to visit his homeland from his comfortable life as a physician in the U.S. His story is frightening, harrowing, sad, sweet, but I found his account of the Korean War gentle compared to what my American Korean War veteran friend tells me. Mr. Chung keeps his tone steady, not taking us too deeply into the abyss of emotional horrors. We still get the picture. I hurt for his sisters, cried for his mother, and thought what a strong and determined man Mr. Chung is. I was fascinated by his visit to North Korea in 1983, although again I felt he only scratched the surface. But then it's best not to ask too many questions or speak too freely about North Korea when your family still lives there. He was careful about that. This is not a history book or about war strategy, but a heartfelt and simply told story of love and survival and a promise finally kept. And I liked the family photos.
September 16, 2016
Awesome story! Got to know Dr. Chung as a customer and he was very well known & respected in the Korean-American community. He donated all the money from this book to the Korean War memorial and was one of the largest private donors!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews