Patriot of Independence · Provisional Government · Grand Order of the Republic of Korea (Daehanmin-guk-jang) (1949)
| Life | 1869 ~ 1953 |
| Era | 근현대 |
| Clan | 경주 이씨 |
Yi Si-yeong, born in Seoul to the prestigious Gyeongju Yi clan as the son of Joseon official Yi Yu-seung, fled to southern Manchuria across the Yalu River in 1910 following Japan's annexation of Korea, together with roughly fifty family members of his five brothers Geon-yeong, Seok-yeong, Cheol-yeong, Hoe-yeong, So-yeong, and Ho-yeong. They founded the Sinheung Institute, which developed into the Sinheung Military Academy and trained more than 3,500 independence army officers by 1920.
He took part in founding the Korean Provisional Government in Shanghai in 1919, serving as Minister of Justice, and then as Minister of Finance until 1926, dedicating himself to fundraising for the movement.
After liberation he served as the first Vice President of the Republic of Korea from July 24, 1948 to May 9, 1951, but resigned in the wake of the National Defense Corps scandal, taking responsibility for the political turmoil and corruption of the time. He died of old age in Busan on April 17, 1953, at the age of 84.