Yu-Rim (1898–1961)

Yu-Rim, a Korean anarchist leader, organized the first anarchist group in the Korean peninsula, the Jo-sun gong-san mu-jung-bu ju-eu-ja yun-meng (Korean Anarchist–Communist Federation), in 1929, and became a leader of Korean anarchists living in exile in China. Arrested in Manchuria by the Japanese in 1931, Yu-Rim was repatriated and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in Korea. After serving his term, he returned to China.

In 1942, he was elected a member of the Assembly of the Korean Provisional Government in exile in China, serving as a representative for the anarchist forces in China in 1944. After the defeat of Japan in 1945 and the liberation of Korea, he played an important role at the 1946 Anwi Congress, the first all-Korean anarchist planning meeting for the future of the anarchist movement. He advanced the controversial position of forming an anarchist political party and later that year proceeded to build the Dok-lip no-nong-dang (Independent Workers and Farmers Party). Following independence and the Korean War, Yu-Rim also was active in the peace movement in the Korean peninsula.

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