Lyuh Woon-hyung
여운형
Lyuh in May 1947
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Korean Provisional Government
In office 5 August 1919 – 22 January 1920
Chairman of the National People's Representative Conference
In office 14 September – November 1945
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished[a]
Personal details
Born	(1886-05-25)25 May 1886 Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi, Joseon
Died	19 July 1947(1947-07-19) (aged 61) Rotary road, Hyehwa-dong, Jongno-gu, Gyeongseong, Southern Korea
Manner of death	Assassination
Resting place	Ui-dong, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Nationality	Korean
Spouse	Jin Sang-ha
Children	9
Parent(s)	Lee (Mother) Lyuh Jung-hyun (Father)
Alma mater	Jinling University , Pyongyang Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Website	Mongyang Memorial Society
Korean name
Hangul	여운형
Hanja	呂運亨
Revised Romanization	Yeo Unhyeong
McCune–Reischauer	Yŏ Unhyŏng
Art name
Hangul	몽양
Hanja	夢陽
Revised Romanization	Mongyang
McCune–Reischauer	Mongyang

Lyuh Woon-hyung or Yo Un-hyung^[b] (25 May 1886 – 19 July 1947) was a Korean politician who argued that Korean independence was essential to world peace, and a reunification activist who struggled for the independent reunification of Korea following its national division in 1945.

Lyuh Woon-hyung, Syngman Rhee and Kim Koo were some of the prominent figures of the Provisional Government of Korea in exile.^[1] He is also known by his pen name Mongyang (몽양; 夢陽). He is rare among politicians in modern Korean history for being revered in both South and North Korea.^{[citation needed]}

Biography

Lyuh was born in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, the son of a local yangban magnate. At age 15, Lyuh enrolled in the Baejae School but in less than one year moved to Heunghwa School. After moving to yet another school and leaving that school before graduation, Lyuh began in 1907 to study the Bible and befriended the American missionary Charles Allen Clark, who helped him found Kidok Kwangdong School in 1909. In 1910, Lyuh dramatically parted from Korean tradition by freeing slaves owned by his household. In 1911, Lyuh enrolled in Pyongyang Presbyterian Theological Seminary and, in 1914, went to China where he studied English literature at a university in Nanjing. In 1917, he moved to Shanghai. In 1918, he organized the Mindan (Korea Resident Association) in that city, to provide a base for pro-independence activities. Lyuh took part in the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in 1919 and served as a member of that body's Legislative Assembly (Imsi Uijeongwon).

Like many in the Korean independence movement, Lyuh sought aid from both right and left. In 1920, he joined the Koryǒ Communist Party (고려 공산당, Goryeo Gongsandang) and, in 1921, attended the First Congress of the Toilers of the Far East in Moscow. When Lyuh Woon Hyung was in Moscow, He met Leon Trotsky and Vladimir Lenin to discuss Korean Independence.^[2] In 1924 he joined Sun Yat-sen's Chinese Nationalist Party and worked for Sino-Korean cooperation. After being released from prison in 1932, Lyuh took on a variety of independence activities in areas of the media and sports. During the Berlin Olympics a Korean marathon runner, Sohn Kee-chung, won the gold medal. The Chungang Daily News, of which Lyuh was the editor and owner, ran the photograph but removed the Japanese flag from his jersey. The Japanese closed down the newspaper and arrested Lyuh for the action. In addition to serving as editor of the Chungang Daily News, he also served as the president of the Choson JungAng Ilbo (조선중앙일보) and other sports associations. His pen-name was Mongyang (몽양; 夢陽), using the Hanja for "dream" and "the sun".^{[citation needed]}

In anticipation of Japan's defeat in the Second World War, Lyuh organized in 1944 the Korean Independence League (조선건국동맹, Joseon Geon-guk Dongmaeng), a nationwide underground organization. Lyuh experienced^{[clarification needed]} the US Doolittle Raid, a reprisal attack in 1942 after Pearl Harbor. He also formed the Committee for Preparation of Korean Independence (조선 건국 준비 위원회, Joseon Geon-guk Junbi Wiwonhoe), succeeded by the Korean Independence League. When the defeat of the Japanese forces in Korea became imminent in August 1945, the Japanese official Endo Ryusaku established contact with Lyuh and agreed on the release of prisoners and the Japanese withdrawal from Korea.^[3] On the 17 August, Lyuh established the Committee for Preparation of Korean Independence which created over 140 subsections in North and South Korea by the end of August.^[4]

On 6 September 1945, Lyuh proclaimed the People's Republic of Korea^[5] with Lyuh as Chairman of the National People's Representative Conference.^[6] When the United States landed on the Korean Peninsula two days later,^[4] General Hodge did not recognize the government of the People's Republic of Korea that Lyuh Woon Hyung established. In October, he stepped down under pressure from the United States Military Government, and organized the People's Party of Korea, becoming its chairman. For the following months of the anti-trusteeship movement and other political changes, Lyuh took a line of action in concert with the communists.^[7]

When a movement to unify the political left and the political right arose in May 1946, Lyuh represented the center-left. However, Lyuh's political stance was attacked by both the extreme right and the extreme left, and his efforts to pursue a centrist position was made increasingly untenable by the political realities of the time.^{[citation needed]}

On 19 July 1947, Lyuh was assassinated in Seoul by a 19-year-old man named Han Chigeun, a recent refugee from North Korea and an active member of the right-wing terrorist group the White Shirts Society. Lyuh's death was widely mourned.^{[citation needed]}

Timeline

• 25 May 1886 – Born in Yangpyeong Yangseo-myeun Shingok-ri (now Shinwon-ri) Myogok (妙谷), Gyeonggi Province
• 1894 – In period of Donghak Peasant Revolution, his family fled to Danyang, Chungcheongbuk-do and after 2 years, returned to Myogok.
• 1900 – Enrolled in the Baejae School
• 1901 – Transferred to Heung-hwa School (흥화학교).
• 1902 – Entered school attached to the Correspondent bureau (우무학당).
• 1903 – Spouse died in August. Grandfather died in October.
• 1905 – Mother died.
• 1906 – Father died.
• 1907 – Became Christian. Founded Gwang-dong school (광동학교) in Yangpyeong.
• 1908 – Founded branch of National Debt Repayment Movement in Yangpyeong and toured to speech about it.
• 1910 – Became a teacher of Chodang Uisuk (초당의숙) of Gangneung.
• 1911 – Had been fired from school because of rejecting Japanese era name. Entered to Pyongyang seminarium and studied to 2 years
• 1914 – Entered the English literature course of Jinling University (金陵大学) in Nanjing, studied 3 years.
• 1917 – Got a job of travel Agent at Xiehe bookstore (協和書局) in Shanghai and helped Koreans in passage procedure. Met Sun Yat-sen. In summer, returned to Korea in private. Fled to China with Lee Beom-seok.
• 1918 – Founded New Korea Youth Party in Shanghai and had been appointed to the leader.
• 1919 – Became deputy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai.
• 27 November 1919 – Visited Japan and had a speech at the Imperial Hotel about Right to life of Koreans.
• 1920 – Joined the Koryǒ Communist Party in Shanghai and became a translation committee member and propaganda agent.
• 1921 – Established "Korea-China Cooperated company" (Hanjung hojosa, 韓中互助社, 한중호조사) in Shanghai.
• January 1922 – Participated in "Conference for Oppressed people of the Far east" (遠東被壓迫民族大會, 원동피압박민족대회) in Moscow. Met Vladimir Lenin and discussed about anti-imperialism movement in Korea. in October, Organized "Hanguk Nobyunghoe" (韓國勞兵會, 한국노병회) with Kim Ku, Son jung-do etc.
• 1924 – Became a special member of the Chinese Communist Party
• July 1929 – Became coach of the soccer team of Fudan University and went to the Southeast Asia for educational travel with players. While in travel he made a speech of Anti-Imperialism at the Philippines, Singapore etc. Arrested by Japanese police in Shanghai and taken to Korea. Had been sentenced to imprisonment for 3 years.
• November 1932 – Had been released on parole from the prison of Daejeon.
• February 1933 – Became the president of the Chungang Daily News (Chosun JungAng Ilbo, 조선중앙일보).
• 1934 – Became chairman of the "Korea Sports Council" (조선체육회).
• 1935 – Set up the gravestone in Yi Sun-sin graveyard of Asan.
• August 1936 – Chungang Daily News ceased publication eternally for removing Japanese flag of Sohn Kee-chung's picture.
• 1940 – Gone off to Tokyo and led and inspire Korean students in Japan. Met Fumimaro Konoe, Shūmei Ōkawa.
• December 1942 – Arrested by Military police for violation of "Peace Preservation Law" (治安維持法)
• 1943 – Got released from prison with three years of probation. while retired from active life, he made contact with comrade and led the young people.
• 10 August 1944 – Formed Korean Restoration Brotherhood Secretly in Sam-gwang Oriental Medical Clinic (삼광한의원) in Seoul and expanded it on a nationwide scale. Rejected the suggestion to go to China of Endo Ryusaku (遠藤柳作), the vice-minister of the post of Governor-General of Korea (朝鮮総督府政務総監). Formed the "Farmers' Brotherhood"(농민동맹) at the Yongmun Mountain in Yangpyeong.
• 15 August 1945 – Met Endo and had been transferred authority of administration and public order from Endo.
• 17 August 1945 – Formed the Committee for Preparation of Korean Independence.

• 6 September 1945 – Had been elected to temporary chairman of "National People's Representative Conference"(전국인민대표자회의 →People's Republic of Korea).
• 12 November 1945 – Formed "People's Party of Korea" (조선 인민당).
• 9 February to 11 February 1946 – Visited Haeju, Pyongyang and met Cho Man-sik, Kim Il Sung.
• 15 February 1946 – Be elected one of the co-chairmen of "National Front for Democracy" (民主主義民族戰線, 민주주의민족전선).
• May 1946 – Propelled "Left-right cooperation movement" (좌우합작운동) with Kim Kyu-sik, An Jae-hong etc.
• 17 July 1946 – kidnapped and taken to a mountain of Sindang-dong, Seoul and escaped risk of being murdered
• 16 October 1946 – Founded "Socialist Labourer's Party" (사회로동당).
• 28 December 1946 to 8 January 1947 – Visited Pyongyang.
• 24 May 1947 – Founded "Labor People's Party" (근로인민당). Had been elected to chairman.
• 19 July 1947 – Assassinated by Han Ji-geun of the White Shirts Society, at the Rotary Road, Hyehwa-dong, Seoul.

Belief

• 혈농어수 – 피는 물보다 짙다 (血濃於水): Blood is thicker than water ^[8]

Genealogy

• Grandfather : Lyuh Gyu-sin (여규신, 呂圭信, ? – 1903 October)
• Grandmother : ?
• Father : Lyuh Jeong-hyeon (여정현, 呂鼎鉉, ? – 1906)
• Mother : Lee of Gyeongju (경주 이씨, 慶州李氏, ? – 1905 September)
• Spouse : Rhew, Se-yeong's daughter (류세영의 장녀, 진주柳氏, ? – 1903 October, Married 1899–1903)
  • Younger brother's grandson, Ki-Won Rhew (President, Willows Memorial Foundation of Korea's First Aviation School & Air Corps, 윌로우스 대한민국 임시정부 한인비행학교/비행대 기념재단 (윌로우스 항공 기념재단))
• Spouse : Jin Sang-ha (진상하, 陳相夏, 1885 – ?)
  • Daughter : Lyuh Nan-gu (여난구, 呂鸞九, 1923 – ?), Dropped out Ewha Womans University due to heart disease
  • Daughter : Lyuh Yeon-gu (여연구, 呂鷰九, 1927 – 1996 September 28)
  • Daughter : Lyuh Won-gu (여원구, 呂鴛九, 1928 – 2009 July 30)
  • Daughter : Lyuh Hyeong-gu (여형구; 呂鶑九)
  • Son : Lyuh Bong-gu (여봉구, 呂鳳九, 1914 – 1932 November 14), Died of typhoid fever^[9][10]
  • Son : Lyuh Hong-gu (여홍구, 呂鴻九, 1918 – 1939), Died of tetanus
  • Son : Lyuh Young-gu (여영구, 呂鸋九, 1930~?)
• Japanese woman
  • Son : Lyuh Boong-gu (여붕구, 呂鵬九, 1936 – 1991), Died of Heart attack
• Jin Ok-chul (진옥출; 陳玉出)
  • Daughter : Lyuh Sun-gu(여순구, 呂鶉九, 1942 – )
• Brother : Lyuh Woon-il (여운일, 呂運一, 1890 – ?)
• Brother : Lyuh Woon-hong (여운홍, 呂運弘, 1891 September 1 – 1973 February 3)
• Sister : Lyuh

In popular culture

• Portrayed by Kim Gil-ho in the 1981 MBC TV series The First Republic.
• Portrayed by Kim Yun-hyung in the 2003 SBS TV series Age of Wanderer.
• Portrayed by Shin Goo in the 2006 KBS1 TV series Seoul 1945.