Yi Tonghwi

Not to be confused with Lee Dong-hwi.

Yi Tonghwi (Korean: 이동휘; Hanja: 李東煇; 1873 – 1935) was a Korean politician who served as the second Prime Minister of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. He led armed actions against the Japanese Empire in an attempt to liberate Korea.

Yi Tonghwi.

Early life

Yi Tonghwi was born in Tanchon, Korean Empire, in 1873.^[1] He was a Protestant Christian.^[2] He started to study Chinese characters at age 8. He became an errand boy for the governor of the South Hamgyong Province at age 18. He attended a military academy in Seoul and became a lieutenant colonel in the Imperial Korean Armed Forces.^[1]

Career

The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1907 dissolved Korea's military, but Yi opposed this and organised a volunteer army on Ganghwa Island with Yeon Gi-u and Kim Dong-su. However, they were captured and exiled. An American missionary was able to secure Yi's release in October and he left for Manchuria.^[1]

Yi fought against the Japanese Empire's annexation of Korea as a member of the righteous armies. He went into exile with several hundred soldiers into northern Korea, Manchuria, and then the Russian Far East.^[3] He was arrested for being involved in the 105-Man Incident in 1911, but was released without charges.^[1]

Yi was among the founding members of the New People's Association.^[4] Yi formed the Korean Socialist Party in 1918, and sought support from the Bolsheviks.^[5] In 1920, he formed the Korean Communist Party.^[6]

Yi was selected to serve as prime minister of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea when it was founded in Shanghai.^[7] Yi led one of the three factions in the provisional government, with Syngman Rhee and Ahn Chang Ho leading the other two.^[6] Yi supported raising funds to fund military actions against the Japanese in the 1920s.^[8] He served as prime minister from 1919 to January 1921, when he broke from the provisional government.^[9]

Death

Yi died in 1935.^[1] He was reinterned at the Seoul National Cemetery in 2007, and the Order of Merit for National Foundation was given to him.^[10]