Kim Won-bong facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kim Won-Bong
Minister of State Control
1st Cabinet of North Korea
Premier	Kim Il-sung
Preceded by	Post established
Succeeded by	Choe Chang-ik
Personal details
Born	c. 1898 Miryang, Gyeongsangnam-do milyanggun, Korean Empire (now Miryang, South Korea)
Died	c. 1958 North Korea
Nationality	Korean
Political party	Workers' Party of Korea
Spouses	Park Cha-jeong Choi Dong-Seon
Children	Kim Cheol-Geon Kim Joong-Geon Kim Hak-Bong
Occupation	Politician, military general
Military service
Allegiance	Korea
Branch/service	Korean Liberation Army
Years of service	1941–1945
Rank	General
Battles/wars	World War II
Korean name
Hangul	김원봉
Hanja	金元鳳
Revised Romanization	Kim Wonbong
McCune–Reischauer	Kim Wŏnpong

Kim Won-bong (김원봉, 金元鳳 – around 1958) was an important Korean leader. He fought for Korea's independence from Japan. He was an activist, a military general, and a politician. He is known for leading groups that worked to free Korea.

Kim Won-bong's Early Life and Fight for Freedom

Kim Won-bong was born in 1898 in Miryang, a city in Korea. His father was Kim Ju-Ik and his mother was Lee Gyeong-Nyeom. His mother passed away while giving birth to his brother, Kyung-Bong.

In February 1919, Kim Won-bong joined the Shinheung Military Academy. He studied military skills there for six months. After this training, he left the academy.

Forming the Heroic Corps

On November 9, 1919, Kim Won-bong helped create a secret Korean group. It was called the Heroic Corps (의열단; 義烈團). He started this group with friends like Yang Gun-ho and Gwak Jae-ki.

The Heroic Corps had big goals. They wanted to stop Japanese officials and their helpers. They also planned attacks on Japanese bases. Kim Won-bong became the leader of this group. He soon realized they needed more members to achieve their aims.

Military Training and New Political Groups

Because of this, Kim Won-bong joined the Whampoa Military Academy in 1926. This was a famous military school. He used a secret name, "Choi Rim," during this time.

After his training, he helped start new political groups. These included the Korean National Revolutionary Party and the Joseon Communist Reconstruction Party.

Working with Chinese Leaders

The Korean National Revolutionary Party was formed in Shanghai in 1935. It brought together several Korean groups who wanted independence. Kim Won-bong, Kim Kyu-sik, and Cho Soang helped organize it.

In 1937, the Chinese government invited Kim Won-bong to a meeting. They wanted to unite against Japanese Imperialism. Kim Won-bong received a lot of money from the Chinese government to help his cause.

Role in the Korean Liberation Army

Kim Won-bong became a deputy commander in the Korean Liberation Army (한국 광복군). This army was part of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. This government was set up by Koreans living outside Korea to fight for their country's freedom.

After Korea became independent, Kim Won-bong returned home on December 3. He met with other important leaders like Kim Gu and Kim Kyu-sik.

Life After Independence

Even though Kim Won-bong was a communist, he did not like the government in North Korea at first. So, he stayed in South Korea after the country was divided.

However, it became harder for communists in South Korea. Because of this, he moved to North Korea in 1948.

Kim Won-bong was married twice. His first wife, Choi Dong-seon, passed away young. Later, he married Park Cha-jeong. He had two sons, Kim Cheol-Geon and Kim Joong-Geon, and one daughter, Kim Hak-Bong. His special pen name was Yaksan (약산 若山), which means "like a mountain."

Around 1958, Kim Won-bong faced political challenges in North Korea. His life ended under difficult circumstances.

Kim Won-bong in Popular Culture

Kim Won-bong's story has been told in movies and TV shows:

• He was played by Cho Seung-woo in the 2015 movie Assassination.
• He was played by Yoo Ji-tae in the 2019 MBC TV series Different Dreams.

See also

• Heroic Corps
• Korean Volunteer Corps
• Korean independence movement