Li Hoe-Young (1866–1932)

Li Hoe-Young is regarded as one of the “fathers” of the Korean anarchist movement in China. He was exiled from Korea along with his five brothers to Manchuria when the country’s sovereignty was ceded to Japan. Seeking to advance the struggle against the Japanese occupation, he established a military academy (Sin-heng mu-kwan hak-kyo), where more than 3,000 youths graduated over the course of ten years and went on to become leaders of the Korean independence movement. After Li moved to Beijing in 1919, he came to embrace anarchism. In April 1924, with Yu Ja-Myung, Jung Hwa-Am, Baik Jung-Gi, and the brothers Li Eul-Kyu and Li Jung-Kyu, Li Hoe-Young helped to organize and found the Jae-jung-kuk jo-sun mu-jung-bu ju-eu-ja yun-meng (Korean Anarchist Federation in China) and published its journals, Jung-eu kong-bo (The Justice Bulletin) and Tal-whan (The Conquest). As a publisher and writer, Li Hoe-Young promoted a joint Sino-Korean struggle against Japanese imperialism. In spite of his age (he was 70), he decided to go to Manchuria and prepare for the anti-Japanese movement by organizing a commando unit. He was arrested by the Japanese and tortured to death in the Sea Police Station in Dairen, Manchuria.

References and Suggested Readings