A native of Gurye, South Jeolla, Kim Eung-sam attacked the Dongbok police substation with about 200 comrades on September 15, 1907, and on September 8, 1909 made Yeongoksa Temple on Jirisan his base of operations, before being killed when the Japanese Gwangju garrison attacked; fellow commanders Go Gwang-sun and Go Je-ryang also died in the battle and Go Gwang-hun was captured. He was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1991.