He used his entire fortune worth about two trillion won (1.7 billion dollars) in today's value to fight against the Japanese occupation of Korea.

Lee was arrested upon arrival from Shanghai at Dalian, and later imprisoned in the infamous Lushun Prison until his death.

The cause of his death was a mystery, and the Japanese authority claims that he had hanged himself on the window bars of a police station, using a hemp cloth.

Upon his death, his body was cremated on the same day; the ashes were later brought back to Japanese-occupied Korea, and finally re-interred at Seoul National Cemetery, years after Korean independence.

In 2010, a five-part drama series was aired by KBS to commemorate of his struggle, titled Freedom Fighter, Lee Hoe-young.