백관수 白寬洙
Independence activist, journalist and politician (read the 2.8 Declaration of Independence; art name Geunchon)
| Life | 1889 ~ 1951 |
| Era | 근현대 |
| Clan | 수원 백씨 |
Life & career
Baek Gwan-su (白寬洙, 1889-1951), art name Geunchon, was an independence activist, journalist and politician born in Saenggeun-ri, Seongnae-myeon, Gochang, North Jeolla. He studied the Chinese classics, graduated from the Gyeongseong Law School in 1915, and while studying in Japan in 1919 led the February 8 Declaration of Independence and read it aloud, for which he was arrested and served a year in prison.
Returning in 1924 he joined the Chosun Ilbo, and in 1937 became president of the Dong-A Ilbo. At the forced closure of the paper in 1940 he refused to sign the closure notice and was detained, and he then lived in seclusion at home, reportedly refusing to join pro-Japanese bodies or adopt a Japanese name. The Institute for Research in Collaborationist Activities is said to have confirmed that he was not a collaborator.
After liberation he helped found the Korea Democratic Party, was elected to the Constituent National Assembly in 1948 (Gochang B) and served on the constitutional drafting committee. In March 1950 he and Seo Sang-il proposed a cabinet-system amendment that failed by two votes, and in the Korean War he was abducted to the North from Seoul. His death is generally given as October 25, 1951, though some accounts say 1961. Korean Wikipedia presents him as Suwon Baek, and some accounts regard him as a descendant of Baek In-geol.
The February 8 Declaration
The declaration issued by Korean students in Tokyo on February 8, 1919, is regarded as a spark for the March 1st Movement. He led it and read it aloud.
The Press and the Constitution
As president of the Dong-A Ilbo he faced its closure at the end of colonial rule, and after liberation took part in drafting the constitution. With contemporaries Baek Jeong-gi and Baek Yong-seong he is remembered among the Suwon Baek independence activists.
Differences Between Sources
His death year (1951 or 1961) and decoration record differ by source; this text follows 1951 and the statement that he is classified as an independence merit holder. His descent from Baek In-geol is clan tradition and should be checked in genealogies.
Grave
He was taken north and has no known grave.