Korean independence activist (1885–1927)
Song Yi-kyun (Korean: ; Hanja: ; 1885–1927) was a Korean-American activist in the Korean independence movement.
Life.
Song Yi-Kyun was born in 1885 in Pyongyang, Korea. In 1913, he left Pyongyang to San Francisco for work. Shortly after his arrival, he became actively involved in the Korean independence movement and joined the Korean National Association (대한인) in October 1914, during the earlier years of the organization. From 1915 to 1916, he served as a student assistant in the Sacramento Regional Societies which was under the North American General Assembly of the KNA.
In May 1920, he became the commissioner of the Princeton District and provided financial support for the Independent Newspaper of the newly formed Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. He also collected donations for the North American General Assembly and served as a recruiting committee member for the Princeton region for the relief of Korean and Chinese-Korean Families. In 1921 and 1922, he continued supplying funds for the Independence Movement as the treasurer of the Sacramento Regional Congress, and the Maxwell Regional Association.
While working for the KNA, he helped establish the Willows Korean Aviation School in Glenn County, CA. He was the assistant administrator and in July 1920 published "The Prospectus of Korean Aviation School" to recruit Korean aviators for the Korean Independence Movement.
From 1914 to 1926, he supported the independence movement fund several times. He continued his work in the KNA until 1927, when he suffered fatal injuries to the head from a plane crash.
Legacy.
In 2016, Song Yi-Kyun was posthumously awarded the President's Commendation Award (대통령표창) for his contributions during the Korean Independence Movement.
References.
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