Chi Ch'ŏngch'ŏn

He died in 1957, and was posthumously honored by the government of South Korea with the Order of Independence Merit for National Foundation in 1962.

His father, Chi Chaesŏn, is the 31st generation descendant of Chigyŏng (池鏡), the founder of the Chungju Ji clan.

His family was one that produced military officers such as Chi Kyechŏe (池繼催) who suppressed the rebellion of Yi Gwal (李适) in the mid-Joseon Dynasty and died heroically while fighting against Qing soldiers at Shingye (新溪) during the Byeongjahoran.

In 1882, Heungseon Daewongun, the leader of the anti-foreign forces movement, was kidnapped by Qing soldiers and imprisoned in Baoding which is in Hebei Province.

Additionally, socially, it was a time when the weakening of national defense was exposed as the Imo Incident broke out due to corruption within the military along with the dissolution of feudal society.

She sometimes played the role of mother and father, and even in difficult economic conditions without a head of the family, she educated him with all her heart focusing on the three organs: intelligence, virtue, and body.

At this time, the Japanese side decided to use their generosity to send about 50 first- and second-year cadets to study at the Tokyo Army Central Youth School in Japan.

When Korea and Japan were annexed while studying abroad, he was transferred to the infantry department of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy and graduated as a member of the 26th class in 1914.

After being promoted to lieutenant, he went into exile in Manchuria in 1919, became the head of the Shinheung Military Academy, and devoted himself to training executives for the independence army.

I have already decided to take the path of a soldier and firmly protect my country and people from danger, so I don't know when I will die.

So, what I want from you is that if you agree with me, you will not hesitate to go through hardships to take care of my old mother in my place, and if you bear offspring, you will educate them well.

Please be clear with me what you think.Even though it was an old-fashioned arranged marriage, it was a remark that was difficult for a dreamy, beautiful 18-year-old bride to hear from her husband on the first day of her wedding.

It is also said that when he was caught by the police of the Japanese Government General of Korea while crossing Manchuria by train, the name he blurted out was ‘Yi Ch'ŏngch'ŏn.’ Later, Chi Ch'ŏngch'ŏn's daughter and independence activist Chi Pokyŏng (池復榮) recalled: This happened when the general was an instructor at Shinheung Military Academy in 1919.

The embarrassed student replied, “I forgot the button.” After examining the uniform, the general noticed that the buttons were missing.

However, after the Battle of Cheongsanri, to avoid large-scale retaliation against Koreans by the Japanese army, he closed the Shinheung Military Academy and led his troops to Gando, where he organized the Korean Independence Corps with Seo Il, Hong Beom-do, Kim Kyu-sik, and Kim Chwa-chin.

After the Free City Incident in June 1921, he moved to Irkutsk, where he formed the Koryo Revolutionary Army (August 1921) with Oh Hamuk and others.

→ It is a separate organization from the Goryeo Revolutionary Army (May 1923), located in Jilin Province, founded by Kim Kyu-sik and Lee Beom-seok.

He was arrested around April 1922 due to a conflict between the educational policy of the military academy and the regulations of the Soviet authorities, but was released through the efforts of the Provisional Government in July.

In Manchuria, they joined forces with the Chinese Tiger Army and conducted joint Korean-Chinese operations (Daejeonjaryeong, Battle of Ssangseongbo), but around May and June 1933, Chi Ch'ŏngch'ŏn and Lee Beom-seok led about 100 men and crossed to mainland China.

When Chi returned to Korea, Syngman Rhee absorbed Jokcheong into the Daedong Youth Group centered around him.

The funeral was held on January 21 at 10 am at the Central Office Concert Hall and the person was buried at the National Cemetery.

On December 10, 2018, Chi Ch'ŏngch'ŏn's diary was designated as Korea's National Registered Cultural Heritage No.