Kim Dong-sam

Kim Dong-sam (金東三, 23 June 1878 – 13 April 1937) was a military officer, politician and independence activist of the Korean Empire.

His clan seat was Uiseong. His childhood name (ahmyeong) was Kim Geung-sik (金肯植), and his pen name was Ilsong (一松).

Life

He was born in Andong, Gyeongsang Province, the eldest son of Kim Gye-rak (金繼洛). He spent his early childhood briefly in Uiseong, Gyeongsang Province, and studied under Kim Heung-rak (西山 金興洛), Seosan, who was the highest leader of the Andong righteous army. Interested in modern education and nationalist movements, in 1907 he founded the Hyeopdong School (協東學校) together with Yu In-sik, Kim Hu-byeong and others, and carried out enlightenment activities. Hyeopdong School was a three-year secondary school founded by reform-minded Confucian scholars who joined forces in the Andong area, which had a strongly conservative character. Around this time, many figures who had entered the enlightenment movement, centered on the New People's Association, anticipated the conclusion of the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty and discussed the establishment of overseas independence movement bases; he, together with Yang Ki-tak and others, agreed on training independence army forces abroad.

When the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty was finally concluded in 1910, he gave concrete form to this plan and in 1911 went into exile in Western Jiandao. Together with Yi Si-yeong, Yi Dong-nyeong, Yi Sang-ryong, Yun Gi-seop and others, he took part in establishing the Gyeonghaksa and the Sinheung Training Institute in the Gando region. The Gyeonghaksa was a self-governing organization, and the Sinheung Training Institute was an educational institution that later developed into the Sinheung Military Academy.