Yun Gil-byeong

Yun Gil-byeong (尹吉炳, 1853 – ?) was a Enlightenment Party figure of the late Joseon period who served as vice president of the Iljinhoe. He was the brother of Yun Si-byeong, the first president of the Iljinhoe.

Life

In 1894, he joined the Donghak together with his younger brother Yun Si-byeong.¹ When Yun Si-byeong was elected president of the Man'min Gongdonghoe in 1898, he took part together with him, and in 1899 he also joined the Independence Club, so that both brothers were active as members of the Enlightenment Party.

In 1904, when Yun Si-byeong jointly organized the Iljinhoe with Song Byeong-jun, he participated as a member of the council and later became vice president. Yun Gil-byeong actively engaged in activities, such as writing the statement of purpose when the Iljinhoe was first organized.

In 1907, when Song Byeong-jun entered the cabinet, members of the Iljinhoe were favored by the Residency-General of Korea of Itō Hirobumi, and Yun Gil-byeong held the post of governor of North Chungcheong Province and the position of councillor in the Privy Council of the Korean Empire. At this time, Yun Si-byeong, who was excluded from the distribution of official posts, came into a confrontational relationship with Song Byeong-jun.

Posthumous

• In 2002, he was included in the Pro-Japanese Collaborators 708 List jointly announced by the National Assembly Members' Association for Establishing National Spirit and the Gwangbokhoe.

References

• Institute for Research in Collaborationist Activities (1 February 1993). "Yun Si-byeong: From President of the Man'min Gongdonghoe to President of the Iljinhoe (Kim Gyeong-taek)". . Seoul: Dolbegae. 978-89-7199-011-7.