Father
Thomas Gregory Song’s father, Song U-Hon (1897 – 1975), was born the third son of noble parents in a small town, Yeong Dong, Choonchung Namdo, located in the mid-southern part of the Korean peninsula. He earned an undergraduate degree at Nihon University (日本大学). He worked as a lecturer at Keijo Imperial University (present-day Seoul National University in Seoul, the Republic of Korea), and an engineer of the Ministry of Railways (MoR) of Imperial Japan in Tokyo. In 1934, U-Hon moved to Dairen City of the Kwantung Leased Territory of the Japanese Empire and was appointed as one of the chief engineers of the South Manchuria Railway Company until 1945. In 1945, the Allied Forces defeated Imperial Japan, and the Soviet Army was about to occupy Manchuria. In the aftermath of WWII, U-Hon moved to South Korea and contributed to the construction of the Republic of Korea as a lecturer at Seoul National University, as the Chief of Heavy Industrial Office of Department of Interior, and an Administrative Partner of Yongsan Industrial Company. In other words, U-hon also witnessed the transition from Southern Korea under the U.S. Occupation to the South Korean Transitional Government, and then the Republic of Korea.
Mother
Thomas Gregory Song’s mother, So Jong-Ah (1905 – 1995), was born the fifth daughter of a wealthy lawyer and land baron of a prominent merchant family. After graduating from Keijo Daiichi Women’s High School (meaning: Keiyo No.1 Women’s High School), So eventually enrolled in the Imperial Women’s Medical College in Tokyo and was one of the first female students to receive a medical education in Imperial Japan. After earning her medical degree, she worked at the hospital affiliated to the Imperial Women’s Medical College until 1934. Next, she moved to Dairen along with U-Heon, who took a prominent position with the South Manchurian Railway. Once in Dairen, she worked at the hospital affiliated to the South Manchuria Railway Company until 1939, after which she started and ran her own medical clinic until 1945. In the Post – WWII, So relocated her clinic in Seoul and kept running the clinic until 1975. In 1981, So moved to the United States to live with Thomas and passed away on October 5th, 1995.
