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Kim Tu-bongKorean revolutionary and linguist
Date of Birth: 16.03.1886
Country:  China |
Content:
- Kim Du-bong: Korean Revolutionary and Linguist
- Marxist Influence in Shanghai
- Linguistic Revolution
- Yan'an Period
- Korean Independence League
- Return to Korea
- Foundation of the Labor Party
- Head of State
- Linguistic Reform
- Dismissal and Later Life
Kim Du-bong: Korean Revolutionary and Linguist
Early Life and ActivismKim Du-bong was born on March 16, 1886, in Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea. At the age of 30, he participated in the March 1, 1919, Uprising as a member of the March First Movement. After the uprising, like many Korean revolutionaries, he sought refuge in Shanghai, China.
Marxist Influence in Shanghai
In Shanghai, the young teacher embraced communism and joined a Marxist group. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Kim balanced his political activism with his contributions to Korean linguistics, which was still in its infancy. He is considered one of its founding figures.
Linguistic Revolution
For centuries, Chinese was the official language of the Korean elite, with Korean relegated to the vernacular. In the 1930s, with the application of Western linguistic methods, Korean linguistics began to flourish, and Kim Du-bong was a key figure in this development.
Yan'an Period
Following the Japanese invasion of China, Kim Du-bong relocated to Yan'an, China. Together with Choi Chang-ik, he led the Yan'an faction within the Korean communist movement. This faction comprised Korean communists who had fled Japanese repression and fought in Chinese Communist Party units during the 1920s and 1930s.
Korean Independence League
In 1942, the North China Korean Independence League was established in Yan'an, becoming the largest Korean communist organization abroad. Kim Du-bong became its leader, while General Kim Mu-jong (also known as Moo Chong) headed the Korean Volunteer Army in Yan'an.
Return to Korea
After the Soviet liberation of Korea from Japanese forces in December 1945, Kim Du-bong and other Independence League leaders arrived in Pyongyang. Until 1946, he served as the head of the Communist Party of Korea. However, the returning communists largely did not join the North Korean Communist Party but instead formed the New Democratic Party on February 16, 1946. Kim Du-bong became its leader.
Foundation of the Labor Party
On July 29, 1946, the New Democratic Party merged with the Communist Party to form the Labor Party of Korea (LPK). The first congress of the unified party was held in Pyongyang on August 28-30, 1946, and it was renamed the Labor Party of North Korea (LPNK). The party had approximately 170,000 members upon its inception. At the congress, Kim Du-bong was elected as the first Chairman of the LPNK Central Committee.
Head of State
On September 2, 1948, Kim Du-bong was elected as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, becoming the head of state of North Korea. Simultaneously, Kim Il-sung was appointed Prime Minister. On September 9, the Assembly formally proclaimed the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Linguistic Reform
Kim Du-bong initiated a reform of Hangul, the Korean alphabet. It proposed the introduction of new letters, changes in their order, and the elimination of some exceptions in verb conjugations. The reform was not implemented, and the only publication that employed its new orthography was a 1949 grammar book.
Dismissal and Later Life
In 1949, the Labor Parties of North and South Korea merged. In the newly formed LPK, Kim Il-sung replaced Kim Du-bong as Chairman. Kim Du-bong remained Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly until September 20, 1957. During the LPK purges of 1957-1959, he was removed from all positions for not supporting the opposition to Kim Il-sung. His fate remains unknown, with some speculating that he died under house arrest in 1958.
