Yeo Jun

Yeo Jun (呂準, 1862 – 1932) was a Korean independence activist and educator.

Life

He was born in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, in 1862, and his childhood name was Jo-hyeon.

He worked as an educator at Osan School before fleeing to Northern Jiandao, where he founded Seojeon Seoksuk with Yi Dong-nyeong, Yi Sang-seol, and others. He introduced Yi Sang-seol to Yi Jun, who was a Hague Emissary.In 1913, as principal of Sinheung School, he devoted efforts to the organization of independence armies. Under the name of Korean residents of southern Manchuria, he submitted a petition for Korean independence to the Hague Peace Conference. While serving as an executive of the Hanjok Association of Western Jiandao at that time, he also established the Seoro Military Government and, as its deputy governor, took the lead in controlling all independence movements in the Western Jiandao region. In 1919, he signed the Musul Declaration of Independence. In 1920, he became the general director of the Provisional Government's Ganseo General Office, and in 1921 he became chairman of the Committee for the Compilation of Textbooks for Students in Manchuria. In 1930, he re-founded the Korean Independence Party.

However, in 1931, while recuperating at the foot of Mount Baekdu, he died as a result of terror by Chinese troops.

Posthumous honors

• In 1968, the Government of South Korea posthumously awarded him the Order of National Foundation, Medal of Independence, to honor his merits.
• In July 2012, he was selected as Independence Activist of the Month.¹

References

• Encyclopedia of Korean Culture – Yeo Jun entry