Soh Kwang-pom or Seo Gwang-beom (8 November 1859 – 17 July 1897) (Hangul: 서광범, Hanja: 徐光範) was a

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

reformist Reformism is a political doctrine advocating the reform of an existing system or institution instead of its abolition and replacement. Within the socialist movement, reformism is the view that gradual changes through existing institutions can ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

of Korea's late

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 ...

. Soh Kwang-Pom, sometimes Pom Kwang Soh or known by his English name: Kennedy (or Kenneth) Suh, was born into the Daegu Seo clan. Seo married Lady of the Andong Kim Clan when he was a young boy, but Lady Kim had died at a young age to which led him to marry again and then a third time. He was close to his late wife's relative,

Kim Ok-gyun Kim Ok-gyun (김옥균; 金玉均; February 23, 1851 – March 28, 1894) was a reformist (''Gaehwapa'', 개화파) activist during the late Joseon dynasty of Korea. He served under the national civil service under King Gojong, and actively pa ...

, who brought enlightenment and thoughts to him when he was young. Seo later became close with

Park Yeong-hyo Park Yung-hyo or Bak Young-hyo (; 1861 – 21 September 1939) was a Korean politician from the Joseon Dynasty, an enlightenment activist, diplomat and pro-Japanese collaborator. He was one of the organizers of the Gapsin Coup of 1884, in ...

, Park Chan-ju's grandfather (the wife of Prince Yi U). He was the Minister of Justice, a Korean minister to the United States, an envoy to the Queen's Jubilee and a one-time political refugee and exile. Kwang-Pom was born into an aristocratic family of Korea and rose quickly through the political ranks. He was sent to Washington as an attache of the Korean Legation, but returned to Korea to take part in a temporarily successful revolution. That was overthrown and he was forced to return to America where he spent 10 years in exile, working for a time as a messenger in the Bureau of Education making a very modest salary. He was recalled to Korea where he was named Minister of Justice, where he led several important reforms. He was then sent London as the Korean envoy to the Jubilee before returning to Korea to become a privy councilor to the King of Korea. He was sent back to Washington as an envoy where he served as Minister. He died on 17 July 1897 in Washington, DC after an illness of a few days following his collapse after a bicycle ride. His remains were cremated.

Trivia

Seo Gwang-beom's 6th great-grandfather was the older brother of

Queen Jeongseong Queen Jeongseong (정성왕후 서씨; 12 January 1693 – 3 April 1757), of the Daegu Seo clan, was the first wife of King Yeongjo of Joseon and the adoptive mother of Crown Prince Sado. Biography The future queen was born on 12 January 1693 ...

; who was a Joseon Dynasty Queen during the late 17th century.

Family

* Great-Grandfather ** Seo Eung-bo (서응보, 徐應輔) * Great-Grandmother ** Lady Kim of the Gyeongju Kim clan (경주 김씨) * Grandfather ** Seo Dae-sun (서대순, 徐戴淳) (1805 - 1871) * Grandmother ** Lady Hong (홍씨, 洪氏) * Father ** Seo Sang-ik (서상익, 徐相翊) (1835 - 1884) * Mother ** Lady Park of the Bannam Park clan (반남 박씨, 潘南朴氏) *** Maternal grandfather: Park Je-won (박제완, 朴齊完) * Wives ** Lady Kim of the

Andong Kim clan {{unreferenced, date=December 2014 The Andong Kim clan (Hangul: 안동 김씨, Hanja: 安東金氏) refers to two Korean clans. They were prominent yangban families during Korea's Joseon Dynasty originating from Andong, North Gyeongsang provin ...

(안동 김씨); daughter of Kim Byeong-ji (김병지의 딸) (? - 1874) ** Lady Kim of the Gwangsan Kim clan (광산 김씨) ** Lady Park of the Miryang Park clan (밀양 박씨); daughter of Park Seung-han (박승헌의 딸) * Son ** Adoptive son: Seo Jae-deok (서재덕, 徐載德); son of the Seo Gwang-jeong (서광정, 徐光鼎)

References

1859 births Date of birth missing Place of birth missing 1897 deaths 19th-century politicians Joseon politicians Cycling road incident deaths {{Korea-bio-stub