Lee Beom-seok (October 20, 1900 – May 11, 1972) was a

Korean independence activist The Korean independence movement was a military and diplomatic campaign to achieve the independence of Korea from Japan. After the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910, Korea's domestic resistance peaked in the March 1st Movement of 1919, which w ...

and the first

prime minister of South Korea The prime minister of the Republic of Korea (PMOTROK or PMOSK; ) is the deputy head of government and the second highest political office of South Korea who is appointed by the President of the Republic of Korea, with the National Assembly's app ...

from 1948 to 1950. He also headed the

Korean National Youth Association The Korean National Youth Association () abbreviated as Jokcheong () was a fascist, extreme right-wing group founded on October 9, 1946 under the catchphrase 'national branch, national geography', and led by Lee Beom-seok (prime minister), Lee ...

(조선민족청년단, 朝鮮民族靑年團). His nickname was Cheolgi.

Biography

Lee Beom-seok was born in Gyeongseong (now Seoul) on October 20, 1900. Lee's father was an officer in the

Joseon Dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and r ...

and he was a descendant of

Sejong the Great Sejong of Joseon (15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), personal name Yi Do (Korean: 이도; Hanja: 李祹), widely known as Sejong the Great (Korean: 세종대왕; Hanja: 世宗大王), was the fourth ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. Initial ...

's son 'Gwangpyeong Daegun ()'. Lee Beom-seok was exiled to the Republic of China after participating in independence activities as a teenager. In 1919, he started studying at the Shinheung military academy (), a military school whose goal was to build a new army to fight for independence. Soon after, Lee fought in the Battle of Cheongsanni, a six-day engagement in eastern Manchuria. He later served as a general in the

Korean Liberation Army The Korean Liberation Army, also known as the Korean Restoration Army established on September 17, 1940, in Chungking, China, was the armed force of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. Its commandant was General Ji Cheong-cheon, ...

for the

Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea The Korean Provisional Government (KPG), formally the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, was a partially recognized Korean government-in-exile based in Shanghai, China, and later in Chongqing, during the period of Japanese co ...

. In 1945, Lee attempted to return to Korea but was forced to remain in exile in China. In 1946, he returned to Korea and helped found the

with

Ahn Ho-sang Ahn or AHN may refer to: People * Ahn (Korean surname), a Korean family name occasionally Romanized as ''An'' * Ahn Byeong-keun (born 1962, ), South Korean judoka * Ahn Eak-tai (1906–1965, ), Korean composer and conductor * Ahn Jung-hwan (born 1 ...

. He was opposed to

Kim Gu Kim Gu (, ; August 29, 1876 – June 26, 1949), also known by his pen name Baekbeom (백범; ), was a Korean statesman. He was the sixth, ninth, and president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea; a leader of the Korean indepen ...

's South-North negotiations () and allied himself with

Lee Syng-man Syngman Rhee (, ; 26 March 1875 – 19 July 1965) was a South Korean politician who served as the first president of South Korea from 1948 to 1960. Rhee was also the first and last president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Ko ...

to establish a unitary government in South Korea. He served as the new country's first prime minister from July 31, 1948 to April 20, 1950.

Later life and death

Following his term in office, Lee Beom-seok served as the Korean Ambassador to the Republic of China, and as Secretary of the Interior. He ran for the vice presidency in 1952, and again in 1956, but failed to win either election. Throughout the 1960s, he remained a staunch opposition leader to the ruling party. At the end of his career, Lee served as an adviser on the

Board of National Unification Board or Boards may refer to: Flat surface * Lumber, or other rigid material, milled or sawn flat ** Plank (wood) ** Cutting board ** Sounding board, of a musical instrument * Cardboard (paper product) * Paperboard * Fiberboard ** Hardboard, a ty ...

() and mentored Park Chung-Hee as an elder of the nation. On May the 10th, 1972 he was granted a philosophy doctorate by the Taiwan Chinese Academy. The following day, May 11, he died of a

myocardial infarction A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

in the Seongmo hospital of Myeong-dong in Seoul. His state funeral was held in the Square of Namsan Mountain on May 17, and he was buried in

Seoul National Cemetery The Seoul National Cemetery () is located in Dongjak-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, South Korea. The cemetery is reserved for Korean veterans, including those who died in the Korean independence movement, Korean War, and Vietnam War. Four South K ...

Posthumous work

* ''Udungbul'' ( ko, 우둥불) * ''Bangrangui Jeong-yeol'' (Passion of Wandering) ( ko, 방랑의 정열) * ''Hangug-ui Bunno'' (Rage of Korea) ( ko, 한국의 분노) * ''Minjok Gwa Cheongnyeon'' (Nationality and the Youth) ( ko, 민족과 청년) * ''Hyeoljeon: Cheongsanni Jakjeon'' (Bloody battle: Strategy of Cheongsanni) ( ko, 혈전: 청산리 작전) * ''Tomsk-ui Haneul Arae'' (Under the Tomsk's Sky) ( ko, 톰스크의 하늘아래)

References

Site web

Lee Beom-seok Memorial museum

Lee Beom-seok
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Beom-seok 1900 births 1972 deaths People from Seoul Korean independence activists Prime Ministers of South Korea South Korean anti-communists Korean revolutionaries South Korean military personnel Korean generals National Defense ministers of South Korea Ambassadors of South Korea to Taiwan Jeonju Yi clan

Biography

Later life and death

Posthumous work

See also

References

Site web