Politics·Culture (Pro-Japanese collaborator)
| Life | 1903 ~ 1944 |
| Era | 근현대 |
| Clan | 전주 이씨 |
Lee Cheol (born Lee Eok-gil, 1903-1944), a native of Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, studied music at Yonhui College before founding OK Records in Gyeongseong (Seoul) in 1933. Although the label had ties to Japanese capital, it is regarded as the first Korean-founded and independently run record company, and Lee discovered stars of the era such as Go Bok-su, Lee Nan-yeong, and Nam In-su; Lee Nan-yeong's 1935 hit "Tears of Mokpo" cemented the label's success, and Lee went on to form the Joseon Akgeukdan performance troupe.
After stepping down as OK Records' head in 1936, Lee focused on running the troupe, and during the Pacific War he toured Korea, Manchuria, and Shanghai directing comfort performances for Japanese troops and releasing numerous militarist propaganda songs, also serving as the second head of a touring theater company organized by the Joseon Dramatic Culture Association. For these activities he is listed as a collaborator in the government's Report on Pro-Japanese Collaborators and the Dictionary of Pro-Japanese Biography; he died in 1944 while on tour in Manchuria.