김창숙 金昌淑
Independence activist and Confucian scholar who represented the Confucian literati
| Life | 1879 ~ 1962 |
| Era | 근현대 |
| Clan | 의성 김씨 |
Life & career
Kim Chang-suk was a Confucian scholar and independence activist from Seongju, with the art name Simsan (心山). In 1919 he led the Paris Letter Movement (Parijangseo Undong), spearheading the Confucian literati's petition for independence. He served as a member and vice-chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, and as head of the Military Propaganda Committee of the Seoro Military Government (Seoro Gunjeongseo).
Though he lost the use of both legs due to torture by the Japanese, he kept his integrity. After liberation, he founded Sungkyunkwan University, becoming its first president, and led the Confucian Association (Yudohoe). He waged an anti-dictatorship struggle against Syngman Rhee's authoritarian rule, and in 1962 received the Order of Merit for National Foundation, Grand Order of the Republic of Korea. His writings include the Simsan Yugo.