Independence patriot · domestic anti-Japanese resistance · Patriotic Medal (愛國章, 1993)
| Life | 1901 ~ 1940 |
| Era | 근현대 |
| Clan | 안동 김씨 |
Kim Bok-jin (1901-1940), a native of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, studied sculpture at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts (1920-1925) after graduating from Baejae High School and is regarded as Korea's first modern sculptor.
After returning home he joined the Goryeo Youth Association and served in the propaganda bureau of the Korean Communist Party and the Goryeo Communist Youth League, leading a socialist-oriented literary and arts movement until his arrest, for which he served 4 years and 6 months in prison; he was also a founding member of the Korea Artista Proleta Federatio (KAPF) alongside figures such as Im Hwa and An Seok-ju.
After his release he worked as a sculptor and art critic and headed the culture desk of the Chosun Chungang Ilbo, winning prizes at the Joseon Art Exhibition. His major works include "Baekhwa," "Boy" (a 1940 prize-winner), the principal Buddha statue at Geumsansa Temple, and the great Maitreya Buddha at Beopjusa Temple, which he began in 1936 but did not live to see completed; he died in Seoul in 1940.