서병호 徐丙浩

Independence patriot · Provisional Government · Patriotic Medal (Aegukjang, 1990)

Life & career

Seo Byeong-ho (1885–1972), from Jangyeon in Hwanghae Province and known by his pen name Songam, was a brother-in-law of independence leader Kim Gyu-sik. In 1918 he helped found the New Korea Youth Party in Shanghai, and the following year contributed to establishing the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and its legislative assembly, also helping set up the Korean Red Cross Society under the Provisional Government.

In 1927 he co-founded Namhwa Academy with Kim Gyu-sik to teach English, though it later closed for lack of funds. After liberation he returned to Korea in 1947 and served as an elder of Saemunan Church and a board member of the Seoul Central YMCA, later becoming chairman of the Kyungsin School Foundation and principal of Kyungsin Middle School.