After graduating from college in 1929 and continuing to study as a teaching assistant, he was examined by the Japanese police in 1931 due to the Seongdae Anti-Revolt Movement incident.

In 1931, he was arrested by the Japanese police after being implicated in the Seongdae Anti-International Movement incident while being an assistant at the Keijō Imperial University.

Subsequently, in 1944, he participated in the formation of the Korean Restoration Brotherhood under the direction of Lyuh Woon-hyung, a secret association under Japanese imperialism.

In August 1948, he served as the central member of the South Korean Workers' Party until just before the establishment of North Korea.

After North Korea was formally established in September 1948, he was elected to be a delegate in the Supreme People's Assembly, the country's unicameral parliament as well as Minister of Agriculture and Forestry (Korean: 농림상 (農林相) in the North Korean Cabinet.