김구 金九
Independence activist and chairman of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea (pen name Baekbeom)
| Life | 1876 ~ 1949 |
| Era | 근현대(일제강점기) |
| Clan | 안동 김씨 |
Life & career
Kim Gu was an independence activist from Haeju, Hwanghae Province; his pen name was Baekbeom (白凡). From his youth he engaged in anti-Japanese activity, joining the Donghak Peasant Revolution and being imprisoned for the Chihapo Incident, in which he killed a Japanese military agent after the assassination of Queen Min.
After the March 1st Movement he went into exile in Shanghai, China, and joined the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, serving as premier (gungmuryeong) and, from 1940, as its chairman. In 1931 he organized the Korean Patriotic Corps and directed the actions of Yi Bong-chang and Yun Bong-gil, and in 1940 led the founding of the Korean Liberation Army.
After liberation he returned home and worked toward establishing a unified government, engaging in North-South negotiations, but was assassinated by An Du-hui in Seoul in 1949. He left the autobiography Baekbeom ilji, and in 1962 was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation, Republic of Korea Medal.
Grave
Patriotic Martyrs' Cemetery at Hyochang Park, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Descendants
His second son Kim Shin served as chief of staff of the Republic of Korea Air Force and as Minister of Transportation.