Chang held this position[which?] during the Korean War. He attended the University of Edinburgh, Scotland earlier in his life. Jang became First Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade from August 15 to December 24, 1948, after the ministry was established on July 17, 1948. During his term, he was in charge of diplomacy for South Korea, as well as handling external trade and matters related to overseas Korean nationals (which was crucial during this period in Korea). From May 6, 1952, to October 6, 1952, he served as the prime minister of the First Republic of Korea.
Recently, in July 2006, Jang Byung-hye (Peggy Jang), the daughter of Jang Taek-sang, and Rhee In-soo, an adopted son of South Korea's first president Syngman Rhee, filed a lawsuit against the producers of Seoul 1945. They claimed that the drama distorts history and belittles the achievements of their late fathers.