Born in Hwangju, Hwanghae-do, he graduated from Pyongyang Teachers’ College (平壤師範學校) at the age of 18 and briefly worked as an elementary school teacher. After the liberation of Korea, he moved south, worked as a houseboy for the U.S. military, and at 22, went to study in the United States. He graduated from Wesleyan College and Vanderbilt University and earned a master’s degree in Structural Engineering from Harvard University. Returning to Korea in 1954, he pursued a career in architecture while collecting dokkaebi tiles and minhwa (Korean folk paintings). As an architect, he designed notable buildings such as the main buildings of Kyungpook National University in Daegu, Keimyung University, Dongsan Hospital, and the Sejong University Museum. His Habib House, built in the style of a traditional Korean hanok, is the only U.S. ambassador’s residence worldwide constructed in the host country’s architectural style, and it is highly regarded for its beauty. His published works include The Beauty of Korean Folk Painting, The Art of Calligraphy and Painting, and The Arts of Korea and Japan. He also authored English works such as Humour of the Korean Tiger and Spirit of the Korean Tiger, as well as Japanese titles like The Beauty of the Joseon Dynasty and The Heart of Joseon Folk Paintings.