Hwang Jin Hyun was born in 1929 between Hwang Ju Won (father) and Kim Bong Hee (mother) as their first child of four children. His father was an educator and a connoisseur of the art; he played the violin, painted oil paintings, and was a friend of the late artist Il Bong Son. At the age of 18, Hwang became the bread-earner of the family after his father’s sudden death. Hwang studied English literature in college and public administration in graduate school in Korea, followed by economics in Japan and the USA. In 1962, Hwang started his life as a public official, having passed the examination for overseas attaché positions for the Korea Economic Planning Board. He later held a series of positions as the consul in the Korean Consulate General in New York, the director general of the Bureau of National Statistics, and the director general of Economic Cooperation. In 1980, Hwang retired from his position and started working full time on painting, his longtime childhood dream. On his 75th birthday (March 20, 2004), he opened Hwang Jin Hyun Museum.