Han was born on 20 July 1934 in Seoul, Korea, during the period of Japanese occupation. He trained under three martial art masters: Nam Tae Hi, Duk Sung Son, and Woon Kyu Um. From 1950 to 1959, Han served as a martial art instructor in the Korean military forces. Through the 1960s, his career continued with both military assignments and leadership of demonstration teams overseas. In 1965, Han was ranked 6th dan. Han appears on Chang Keun Choi's list of taekwondo pioneers.