Jo Maeng-seon

Jo Maeng-seon (趙孟善, ? – 1922) was a Korean independence activist. He was from Hwanghae Pyeongsan (平山).

Life

When the Eulsa Treaty was forcibly concluded in 1905, he attempted to assassinate the Five Traitors but did not achieve his aim. Together with Park Jeong-bin (朴正彬), Woo Byeong-yeol (禹炳烈), Lee Jin-ryong (李鎭龍), and others, he raised a righteous army and, as chief of staff, attacked Japanese troops stationed in Pyeongsan County. After Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910, he went into exile in Manchuria in 1911 with Lee Jin-ryong, and continued armed anti-Japanese struggle together with Hong Beom-do (洪範圖), Lee Jin-ryong, and others. In October 1916, together with Lee Jin-ryong, he entered Unsan (雲山) in Pyeongbuk and attacked the convoy transporting money from the Unsan gold mine in order to secure funds for the independence movement. Afterward, together with Shin Bong-hwang (申鳳荒), Cha Do-seon (車道善), and others, he organized the secret society Chungui Sa (忠義社) in Palmyeontong (八面通), Mureung County (穆陵縣), and also planned an advance into domestic Korea. In 1919, when the March 1st Movement unfolded within Korea, he, together with Park Jang-ho (朴長浩), Baek Sam-gyu (白三圭), Jo Byeong-jun (趙秉準), Jeon Deok-won (全德元), and others, organized the Korean Independence Corps (大韓獨立團) in Samwonbo (三源堡), Yuha County (柳河縣), with the aim of avenging the nation and restoring the state. He became its Chief Commander (總團長) and directed operations to infiltrate domestic Korea, and carried out armed anti-Japanese struggle including raising funds, recruiting members, and punishing Japanese collaborators. In August 1920, when the Gwangbokgun Headquarters (光復軍司令部), under the direct control of the Provisional Government, was organized at Hyangnogu (香爐溝), Gwanjeon County (管電縣), he was appointed its commander (司令長). Together with Yeo Sun-geun (呂淳根), Lee Tak (李鐸), Kim Seung-hak (金承學), Yu Eung-ha (劉應夏), (朴利烈), (洪植), (梁基瑕), and others, he continued armed struggle, including attacks on Japanese police substations and the killing of Japanese police officers. In the same month of August, when a United States congressional delegation visited Korea, he submitted a petition in the name of the Korean Independence Corps' Chief Commander, arguing for Korean independence and requesting support.