Lee Gyu-chae (1888–1948) was a prominent independence activist from Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, known by various names including Gongsam (公三), with the pen names Gyeongsan (庚山), Donga (東啞), and Ujeong (宇精). He also used the name Lee Gyu-bo (李圭輔). Following the March 1st Movement in 1919, he founded the Changshin Calligraphy and Painting Research Society, through which he secretly organized independence activities targeting students. Upon discovery by Japanese authorities, he fled to Shanghai, China in 1921 to continue his efforts for Korean independence.
In 1924, he was elected as a representative for Chungcheong Province in the Provisional Legislative Assembly of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, though he resigned the following year. In 1930, he joined the Korean Independence Party, serving as a political commissioner and chief of staff for the military affairs division. In 1932, he collaborated with Chinese military leaders to discuss joint anti-Japanese efforts and was elected as the party’s chief secretary, playing a pivotal role in relocating the party’s headquarters from Manchuria to Beijing.
By 1933, he served as a colonel-level advisor to the 3rd Army of China’s Jilin Province and, in 1934, helped establish the New Korean Independence Party, where he was appointed as chairman of the audit committee. In 1935, he was arrested by Japanese authorities in Shanghai and sentenced to ten years in prison, serving his sentence at Gyeongseong Prison. After Korea’s liberation, Lee briefly engaged in journalism and later entered politics, holding positions such as a representative for the People’s League for the Promotion of Korean Independence and chairman of the Korean Independence Promotion Association. He passed away in February 1948.
In recognition of his contributions to Korea’s independence movement, he was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1963. A monument honoring his achievements was erected in 1982 in his hometown of Bangchuk-ri, Gasan-myeon, Pocheon City.
