Cho Wan-gu

Cho Wan-gu (趙琬九, March 20, 1881 – October 27, 1954) was a Korean independence activist and politician. He worked in the Provisional Government and the Provisional Legislative Assembly, and after liberation he served as the first domestic Minister of Finance of the Korean Independence Party before becoming its chairman in 1949. He was abducted to North Korea during the Korean War in 1950. His courtesy name was Jungyeom (仲琰), his pen name was Ucheon (藕泉), and his family seat was Pungyang (豐壤). He was the husband of Hong Myong-hi's paternal aunt.¹

Biography

• 1881: Born in Gyesaeng-dong Gye (桂生洞契), Yangdeok-bang (陽德坊), North Ward, Hansung Prefecture (present-day Gye-dong, Jongno District)

• 1905: Resigned as Junior Secretary of the Interior after the Eulsa Treaty was concluded

• Organized and worked in the Korean Association (大韓協會)

• 1910: After the Gyeongsul National Humiliation, went into exile via Yongjeong (龍井) in Gando (間島) to Vladivostok, where he founded and worked through the Dongjisa (同志社)

• 1919: Joined the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and served as a member of its Legislative Assembly

• 1921: Vice Minister of the Interior of the Provisional Government

• 1924: Visited Vladivostok in the Soviet Union

• 1924: Chief Director of the Labor Bureau (勞動局總辦) of the Ministry of Labor of the Provisional Government's Ministry of Internal Affairs

• 1925: The Soviet foreign minister Lev M. Karakhan sent a message to Japanese Foreign Minister (芳澤謙吉) proposing a secret agreement with Japan to expel and arrest Korean nationalists, and Korean nationalists who did not follow the directives of the Soviet Communist Party were expelled, including , , and others. Cho Wan-gu was also forcibly expelled by the Soviet government at this time, along with other Korean independence activists.