Yun Chi-ho

Yun Chi-ho was a Korean politician, activist, and educator who played a prominent role in the late Joseon and Korean Empire periods. He was a member of a distinguished aristocratic family and the son of a general who served as a minister in the Joseon government. He had the rare opportunity to study abroad in China, Japan, and the United States, where he attended Vanderbilt University and Emory University. He became a devout Methodist Christian and an early leader of the Korean YMCA. He was also involved in various reformist and nationalist organizations, such as the Independence Club, the People's Joint Association, and the New People's Association. He advocated for democracy, human rights, and modernization in Korea. He also participated in the Gapsin Coup of 1884, a failed attempt to overthrow the conservative faction and establish a constitutional monarchy. He served in various government positions, such as governor of several counties, vice-minister of foreign affairs, and acting foreign minister. He was also a prolific writer and translator, who published a diary, a book on English grammar, and several essays and poems. He was known for his art name Jwaong and his courtesy name Sungheum. However, Yun's reputation as a nationalist leader was tarnished by his collaboration with the Japanese colonial authorities after 1910. He supported the cause of the Japanese and opposed many of the actions of the Korean independence movement, such as the March 1st Movement of 1919. He was also involved in the 105-Man Incident of 1938, a plot to assassinate prominent Korean independence activists. He was arrested and tortured by the Japanese police, and later released under house arrest. He died in 1945, four months after the liberation of Korea. Many Koreans remember him as a traitor and a chinilpa (pro-Japanese faction).