백두진 白斗鎭
Official and politician; Prime Minister and Speaker of the National Assembly (art name Sogye)
| Life | 1908 ~ 1993 |
| Era | 현대 |
| Clan | 수원 백씨 |
Life & career
Baek Du-jin (白斗鎭, 1908-1993), art name Sogye, was an official and politician from Sinchon, Hwanghae Province. He spent his childhood in Hanseong, graduated from Hwimun High School in 1927 and received a commerce degree from Tokyo Commercial University in 1934.
Soon after liberation he was chosen to head the Bank of Korea (then the Bank of Joseon) for about four years, though sources differ slightly on the dates. He was named acting prime minister in October 1952, served as the 4th Prime Minister from April 24, 1953 to June 17, 1954, and again as the 10th Prime Minister from December 21, 1970 to June 3, 1971. A photograph survives of him as prime minister signing the 1953 aid agreement with UNKRA head John B. Coulter.
He was the 8th Speaker of the National Assembly from July 26, 1971 to October 17, 1972, and was elected 10th Speaker in March 1979 but resigned after the October 26 incident (end-of-term dates differ by source). He died in Seoul on September 5, 1993, aged 84. Korean Wikipedia introduces him as Suwon Baek; with Baek Nak-jun he is counted among clan members who held high government posts.
A Finance Official
An economics specialist, he led the central bank just after liberation and, as prime minister after the war, handled reconstruction aid.
Premier and Speaker
Twice prime minister (4th and 10th) and twice Speaker (8th and the 10th, to which he was elected), his career is unusual in Korean political history. The end of his 10th term is stated differently by source.
Differences Between Sources
The dates of his Bank of Korea chairmanship and the end of his 10th-term speakership are given differently, and his birthday is settled as October 31 after lunar-solar discrepancies. His hanja name and grave still need confirmation.
Grave
His grave site could not be confirmed.