Origins & Early Life

George McAfee "Mac" McCune ( mə-KEWN; June 16, 1908 – November 5, 1948) was an American scholar of Korea. He was one of the creators and namesakes of the McCune–Reischauer system for the romanization of Korean, along with Edwin O. Reischauer. Significant work on the system was done by Korean linguists Choe Hyeon-bae, Jeong In-seop, and Kim Seon-gi.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

McCune taught Korean history and language at Occidental College and the University of California, Berkeley. Born in Pyongyang, Korean Empire, George McAfee McCune was the son of Helen McAfee and George Shannon McCune, American Presbyterian educational missionaries who had sailed to the country in 1905. Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910. The McCunes worked in Pyongyang and Sinch'ŏn. The young George had a younger brother, Shannon, and two sisters, Catherine and Margaret.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

They received their elementary educations in Korea. McCune moved to the United States to attend Huron College in South Dakota, where his father was president, and after a year transferred to Rutgers University in New Jersey. He graduated from Occidental College with a bachelor's degree in 1930. McCune returned to Korea for a few years, and taught...

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