Chosŏn'gŭl 최창익 Revised Romanization Choi Chang-ik | Hancha 崔昌益 McCune–Reischauer Ch'oi Ch'angik | |
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Died 1960, Pyongyang, North Korea | ||
Choi Chang-ik (Hangul: 최창익; Hanja: 崔昌益, 1896 – 1960) was a Korean Independence activist from the Japanese colonial era, a communist, and a politician. He also went by the following bynames: Choi Chang-suk (최창석, 崔昌錫), Choi Chang-soon (최창순, 崔昌淳), Choi Dong-woo (최동우, 崔東宇), Lee Kun-woo (이건우, 李建宇). He was the third husband of the feminist socialist activist, Heo Jong-suk.
Life
Choi Chang-ik was born in Onsong County, Korea in 1896. He was born into poverty as a farmer's son. His birth date is unknown as North Korea [[purge|purged]] him after deeming him a traitor and his communist status made him a taboo subject to discuss in South Korea.
In his second year of high school, he took part in the March 1st Movement which resulted in his expulsion. That same year, he went to Japan to continue his education at the Seisoku English School (today's Seisoku Gakuen High School).
He got admission in Waseda University's department of Economics and Politics and continued his activist work there by organizing a student union. This included him secretly infiltrating areas in Korea such as, Ganggyeong, Jeonju, Okgu, and Gunsan, where he went on a lecturing tour to share his ideals on socialism and equality. These activities got him arrested by the Japanese police but he was eventually released.
In June 1923, he returned to Korea and became a member of the Korean Labor Society. In July of that year, he contributed to the founding of the Korea Communist Youth Alliance and served as a commissioner. In September, he was arrested by the police while leading a Korean Labor Conference meeting.
In April 1924, he took part in the founding of the Joseon Youth Alliance and was elected to the group's central executive committee. In December, he helped found the Socialist Alliance, an organization not affiliated with the Seoul Youth Association, where he was elected to serve as a member of its executive committee.
He graduated from Waseda University in February 1925.
Following his graduation, he attended the Communist International World Congress as a representative of the Seoul Youth Association. On his way back, he stopped by Manchuria to get involved with Kim Chwa-chin's [[List of anarchist communities|Shinmin]] group, a rebel community in Manchuria's province of Shinmin, to create a communist league within the organization. However, he seceded from the group in October 1925 and took the train back to Korea. That same month, the Japanese police arrested him due to his involvement with the Shinmin group. Among those who were arrested with him were Han Bin (한빈, 韓斌), Lee Kyung-ho (이경호, 李京鎬) and Lee Young (이영, 李英).
In 1926, he was selected to attend a communist conference in the Soviet Union, along with Park Du Hui, a member of the Shinmin group, and was sent to Vladivostok. While he was there, he joined efforts in starting a national party assembly.
Upon returning to Korea in 1927, he joined the Communist Party of Korea and became an executive of the party.
In February 1928, he was imprisoned for the so-called "Third Communist Party of Korea Incident" until he escaped from prison in 1935. In 1936, he went to China to seek political asylum, where he became a part of the Korean National Revolutionary Party. He wed Heo Jong-suk in 1937.
In 1936 he formed the Chonwi Club (전위동맹) in Hankou and joined the Korean National Revolutionary Party, May 1938, commander of Choson uiyongdae (조선의용대), it was Kim Won-bong's made Korean National Revolutionary Party's military Organizations. but he was complaints that were funded for Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang's moneys. Because of this incident he was fighting and broke to Kim Won-bong (김원봉, 金元鳳). He also went to Yan'an, in partnership to Mujong (무정, 武亭) and Kim Tu-bong (김두봉, 金枓奉).
In January 1941, funding of the China Communist Party's money, later Just along with Lee Gunwu, Mujung's founded 'Hebei Korea Youth Federation' in Jindong. In 1942, with Kim dubong and Lee Gunwu, Mujung, han bin was create an Chosun independent alliance, and he was elected Vice-Chairman of the independent alliance.
In September 1945, he was appointed to Communist Party of Korea's Political Committee, and in December he returned to Pyongyang, North Korea with Kim Tu-bong and Mujong.
In March 1946, he founded the New Korean Democratic Party and was elected vice chairman. In August of that year, New Democratic Party and the Communist Party of Korea lets participation was integration, he was involved. In September, Workers' Party of North Korea's Central Committee, the Standing Committee was elected to Commerce and Business commissar and political commissar for him.
In 1948, Workers' Party of North Korea's Central Committee and deputies of the North Korean Supreme People's Assembly. In September, first North Korean Finance Ministers. in 1952 Deputy Prime Minister, in 1954 Finance Minister, 1955 Security minister of DPRK.
Choi died in 1960 at the age of 61, while imprisoned in Pyongyang.