Kim Gu

Who is Kim Gu?

Kim Gu was a leader of the Korean independence movement and one of the most prominent figures of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, which operated in exile largely from Shanghai and later Chongqing, China. Known by his pen name Baekbeom, he served multiple times as president of the Provisional Government and organized resistance activities against Japanese colonial rule, including support for patriotic operations carried out by activists such as Yun Bong-gil and Lee Bong-chang. After Korea's liberation in 1945, Kim returned home and became a passionate advocate for a unified, independent Korea, opposing the division of the peninsula into separate northern and southern states. His autobiography, the Baekbeom Ilji, remains a widely read account of the independence struggle. He was assassinated in Seoul in 1949. Kim Gu is remembered as a devoted nationalist who prioritized Korean unity and sovereignty.

Sources: Kim Gu, Baekbeom Ilji (백범일지, autobiography), first published 1947 · Records of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea · Baekbeom Kim Gu Memorial Hall, Seoul