Patriot of Independence · Armed Resistance (Uiyeol Struggle) · Grand Order of the Republic of Korea (Daehanmin-guk-jang) (1962)
| Life | 1900 ~ 1932 |
| Era | 근현대 |
| Clan | 전주 이씨 |
Yi Bong-chang (1900–1932) was the first member recruited into the Korean Patriotic Corps, organized by Kim Gu in Shanghai in 1931, formally joining on December 12 of that year after swearing to assassinate the Japanese emperor.
On January 8, 1932, he threw a hand grenade at Emperor Hirohito's procession near the Sakuradamon gate in Tokyo as it returned from a military review, but failed to hit him. Arrested at the scene and tried, he was executed on October 10, 1932. Though the attempt failed, it drew worldwide attention to the Korean independence movement and inspired further resistance.