Sung-Ho Choe

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Name: Sung-ho Choe
Gender: Male
Age: 48
Date of Birth: 16/08/1975
Place of Birth: Osan-si, South Korea
Nationality: Korean
Spoken Languages: Korean, English
Religious Beliefs: Christianity
Affiliation: ATLAS
Alignment: Lawful Good

When a person comes face-to-face with horror or tragedy, there are many reactions they may have. Some sink into despair, causing them to abandon their faith or their morality. Others find strength in their beliefs. Yet, belief is meant to be tested…

Little Sung-Ho was born in a small suburb southeast of Osan-si, South Korea. His parents owned a dry cleaning and tailoring business, but were barely making ends meet. Though they owned a small house and local business, much of their income was spent to enrol Sung-Ho into a prestigious private religious school for his education. Though his parents were faithful Christians, Sung-Ho took his religious observations much more seriously; Even refusing to work on Sundays so that he’d never miss church attendance.

After school, Sung-Ho would take the bus to his family’s shop to do his homework and help out with the business before they all went home to eat dinner together. He learnt from his father to dry clean, press, and steam clothes. From his mother he learnt mending, tailoring, and making alterations or additions to multiple kinds of fabrics.

As a teenager, his mother began to suffer from a chronic nervous disorder that caused her hands to tremble uncontrollably from time to time. While her health was otherwise fine, cooking became dangerous and her needlework at the business suffered. Many customers complained of orders taking too long, or the stitching being messed up.

Forced to retire early, Sung-Ho’s mother stayed home while he took over for her at work every day after school. His parents always wanted more for him than this business, hence why they worked so hard to place him into such a nice school. But, Sung-Ho loved stitching and tailoring! It was meditative and peaceful. It also allowed him to follow the biblical teachings to ‘honour thy parents’ by lightening their burdens.

When he graduated, Sung-Ho had some of the highest marks in his class and was able to get a scholarship nearly anywhere. He surprised his parents when he chose a 6-year programme at a university in Seoul specialising in Fashion Design & Marketing. Thanks to a full-ride scholarship, they could now sell the business and relax, as he’d no longer need their financial support. They were delighted, even if they thought he should have chosen a different career path.

Upon completing two successful internships at both Nike and Hugo Boss, Sung-Ho accepted a job opportunity that made his parents both proud & sad. He would be going to Italy to apprentice under a famed Italian bespoke suit maker named Donato Morelli. When his apprenticeship ended, he’d return to Korea as the most masterful tailor in the country!

That, sadly, was over two decades ago. Before the aliens came. Before the “Black Mesa Incident” and the “Combine”. Sung-Ho hasn’t been home since, and he’s long come to terms with the fact that his parents are likely gone. Now, Sung-Ho is a member of the Human resistance, working on Humanity’s liberation.

He’s still using his skills as a tailor, but instead of suits he crafts armour, clothing, and backpacks for the soldiers. Though the last 20 years have shaken his faith, he remains thoroughly devout and often leads prayer groups for the other soldiers. Prayer and good deeds are Sung-Ho Choe’s answer to life’s testing of his beliefs. Just as Jesus led his people against the Romans, so too will Humanity rise up against the Combine…