Song Oh-kyun

Song Oh-kyun
Song Oh-Kyun
Born (1892-02-28)February 28, 1892
Pyongyang, Korea
Died (1970-06-20)June 20, 1970
Los Angeles, California
Nationality American
Known for Korean Independence Activist
Home town Pyongyang, Korea
Korean name
Hangul 송오균
Hanja 宋五均
Revised Romanization Song Ogyun
McCune–Reischauer Song Okyun

Song Oh-kyun (Hangul: 송오균; Hanja: 宋五均; February 28, 1892 – June 20, 1970) was a rice farmer and Korean independence activist who was deeply involved in the Korean Independence Movement in the US. He took leading positions in the Korean National Association (ko:대한인국민회) [1] and participated in other Korean Independence organizations in the US including the Young Korean Academy (ko:흥사단).

Life

Song Oh-Kyun was born in Pyongyang, Korea in 1892. In October 1916, he immigrated to the US following his studies in Shanghai [2] . He attended the University of Southern California and received a master's degree in liberal arts. After graduating in 1926, he joined his older brother Song Yi-kyun on taking various regional responsibilities within the Korean National Association(KNA), the largest Korean immigrant political organization, founded in February 1909 by Ahn Chang-ho.

During his years in the KNA, he was involved in both its internal affairs and political activities in the Korean Independence Movement. He began his work in 1927 as a judicial officer in the Sacramento local assembly of the KNA. The following year, he participated in the 19th Delegates' Conference of the General Assembly of the KNA as a deputy delegate of the Los Angeles Local Assembly and then chosen as a Bill Amendment Committee member [3] [4] In February 1931, he became a business staff member and in April a Dues Collection Committee member until 1938 when he was selected as a member of the Central Executive Committee of the KNA. [5] In 1943 and 1944, he was an Inspection Committee member of the Los Angeles Local Assembly; and in October 1944, a Central Inspection Committee member of the Central Executive Committee at the 9th Representatives' Convention of the KNA. [6]

After the liberation of Korea from Japanese rule, he remained active in the organization as a Business Committee member in the Los Angeles Local Assembly and a Collections Committee member in the Overseas Ethnic Koreans' Convention. [7]

From 1917 to 1945, he supported the Korean National Association’s independence movement fund on several occasions. He would also donate money to support Korean immigrants in other countries such as Cuba and Mexico.[8]

Legacy

Following Song Oh-Kyun's death in 1970, the Korean newspaper The New Korea (신한민보) paid tribute to his decades of work for the Korean National Association. [9] In 2015, the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan, he was posthumously awarded the President's Commendation Award (대통령표창) by the Republic of Korea for contributing to the interests of the nation. [10]

References

  1. ↑ Korean National Association Central and Local Officers (1944)
  2. ↑ "26 Men and Women Arrive from China" (in Korean). National Institute Of Korean History. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  3. ↑ "Independence Patriots" (in Korean). Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  4. ↑ "The 19th People's Congress" (in Korean). National Institute Of Korean History. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  5. ↑ "Korean National Association Supervisory Board Meeting" (in Korean). National Institute Of Korean History. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  6. ↑ "Ministry of International Affairs" (in Korean). National Institute Of Korean History. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  7. ↑ "Independence Patriots" (in Korean). Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  8. ↑ "Korean Relief" (in Korean). National Institute Of Korean History. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  9. ↑ "Song Oh-Kyun Laid to Rest in Wilshire" (in Korean). USC Digital Archives. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  10. ↑ "Independence Patriots" (in Korean). Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. Retrieved 2018-08-24.

Bibliography

 

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