Song Byeong-jo

Song Byeong-jo (宋秉祚, December 23, 1877 – February 25, 1942) was an independence activist during the Japanese colonial period. He served as vice speaker and speaker of the Provisional Legislative Assembly and as a State Council member of the Provisional Government, and when the Provisional Government faced a crisis over its survival, he worked with Kim Gu and others to defend it. His pen name was Sinam (新巖). In 1963 he was posthumously awarded the Order of National Foundation, Medal of Independence.

Kim Gu expressed grief over his death in the Baekbeom Ilji, but Song had a poor relationship with Kim.

Life

On February 18, 1926, following the resignation of Lyuh Woon-hyung (呂運亨), he was elected vice speaker of the Provisional Legislative Assembly, and on August 18, 1926, he was appointed speaker of the assembly, succeeding Choi Chang-sik (崔昌植). On the same day, August 18, he was also elected a State Council member of the Provisional Government, and he served concurrently as speaker of the assembly and as a State Council member.

Because he had a poor relationship with Kim Gu's faction, he was unaware of their movements, and Kim Gu likewise was unaware of his. Song's faction, which was opposed to Kim Gu, concluded that Kim Gu had incited anarchists to carry out terrorist attacks.¹

In 1935, several State Council members, including Yang Ki-tak (梁起鐸), Yu Dong-yeol (柳東說), Kim Kyu-sik (金奎植), Jo So-ang (趙素昻), and Choi Dong-o (崔東旿), resigned from the State Council to join a unified party, pursuing a movement for a unified national party. This left the Provisional Government in a very difficult position in maintaining its legitimate line, but he, together with Kim Gu and Cha Ri-seok, insisted on defending the Provisional Government and kept it going.