[Report] Lee Hoe-young, Who Devoted His Entire Fortune of 2 Trillion Won to the Independence Movement... "Gaining a Sword from a Leaf"

‘A Model of Noblesse Oblige’
All Six Brothers Joined the Independence Movement
Family Exiled After Disposing of 2 Trillion Won
Established Shinheung Military Academy in Manchuria
Roots of the Liberation Army and Republic of Korea Armed Forces

"Lee Hoe-young was under surveillance. He was always followed by watchers, lackeys, and spies. Lee Hoe-young was a shadow. He had to be seen but not noticed. When having important conversations with comrades, he used written notes to ensure no one could eavesdrop. After the conversation ended, he immediately burned the paper."

A bust of Udang Lee Hoe-yeong erected in the yard of the Lee Hoe-yeong Memorial Hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Hye-won

On the occasion of Liberation Day, attention is drawn to those who lived their lives dedicating everything they had to the nation and people rather than personal gain, even as many intellectuals and elites during the Japanese colonial period became collaborators. Among those particularly noted are U-dang Lee Hoe-young and his family. Commonly known as the 'U-dang Six Brothers,' Lee Hoe-young and his family are renowned as a prestigious independence movement family.

Taking a small village bus from Dongnimmun Station in Jongno-gu, Seoul, up a winding road, one can see a quiet Western-style house. This is the memorial hall of independence activist U-dang (友堂) Lee Hoe-young (1867?1932), located in the 'Campbell House,' once home to American missionaries. It was recently relocated here from Yejang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul. Upon entering the yard, a bust of U-dang stands at the entrance. Reading the books, guides, and exhibits scattered throughout the memorial hall, one can deeply feel the hardships and hopes of the independence movement.

Lee Hoe-young was the 10th-generation descendant of Yi Hang-bok, who served as Yeonguijeong (Prime Minister) during the Joseon Dynasty under King Seonjo, and the fourth son of Lee Yoo-seung, who served as Minister of Personnel in the late Joseon period. He grew up in one of the wealthiest families in Joseon, owning almost all the land in what is now the Myeongdong area of Seoul. His resolve to join the independence movement was sparked in 1905 when the Eulsa Treaty deprived the Korean Empire of its diplomatic rights.

At that time, Lee Hoe-young’s family secretly sold all their property, worth about 400,000 won (equivalent to approximately 60 billion won in 1969 prices, or about 2 trillion won in current value), and collectively emigrated to Manchuria. Lee Hoe-young, his six brothers, and over 60 family members used all the proceeds to establish and operate the Shinheung Military Academy, the first school to train independence army officers.

On the second floor of the Lee Hoe-yeong Memorial Hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul, rifles, bayonets, pistols, and other firearms used at the Shinheung Military Academy are on display. Photo by Moon Hye-won

The Shinheung Military Academy is considered the root of the Uiyoldan, Korean Independence Army, Korean Liberation Army, and the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. Founded in 1911, it trained about 3,500 independence army officers and soldiers over roughly ten years. Many graduates participated in famous battles such as the Battle of Bongodong and the Battle of Cheongsanri and became central figures in the Liberation Army.

The rifles, bayonets, pistols, and other weapons used at the Shinheung Military Academy are preserved in the memorial hall. According to the memorial’s explanation, in 1923, Lee Hoe-young’s eldest son Gyu-hak and his second brother Lee Seok-young’s son Gyu-jun, along with independence activist Shin Chae-ho and others, formed a secret action group called 'Damuldan.' Damuldan was an organization aimed at punishing pro-Japanese collaborators and spies. A memorial official said, “Spies were as dangerous as those who could destroy entire independence army units, and were more vicious traitors than Japanese high police detectives. At that time, Damuldan sought to eradicate them. The phrase ‘Damuldan is coming,’ which stopped even crying children from crying, originated from Damuldan’s fierce activities.”

Once considered the wealthiest family in Joseon, Lee Hoe-young’s family endured poverty and hunger in Beijing while continuing the independence movement. Lee Hoe-young raised funds for the movement by painting ink orchids (mukran). Several of these ink orchid paintings, accompanied by the poem “If the orchid leaf does not hold a sword, it is merely a blade of grass; if the sword does not hold the orchid leaf, it is but a fierce weapon,” are displayed in the memorial hall.

Stories of Lee Hoe-young's brothers displayed on the first floor of the Lee Hoe-young Memorial Hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Hye-won

Tragically, Lee Hoe-young was captured by the Japanese army in 1932 and died under severe torture in the Lushun Prison. After 35 years of exile and independence activism, only one of the six brothers, Lee Si-young, survived to see the liberation of the homeland in 1945. The other brothers died miserably from starvation, torture, or disappearance. Lee Si-young became the first vice president of the Republic of Korea government but voluntarily resigned in 1951, criticizing the corruption and incompetence of the Rhee Syngman administration.

One of Lee Hoe-young’s grandsons, Lee Jong-chan, the current president of the Liberation Association, is a graduate of the Korea Military Academy and served as a ruling party (Minjungdang) member of the National Assembly and secretary-general in the 1980s. He later became the first director of the National Intelligence Service, renamed from the Agency for National Security Planning under the Kim Dae-jung administration. Another grandson, Lee Jong-gul, a former member of the Democratic Party, is a politician and human rights lawyer.

Despite dedicating all their wealth, Lee Hoe-young and his brothers left behind almost no easily traceable legacy or name. The memorial hall explains that even their descendants have struggled to find records of their deeds.

Beyond the simple notion of 'noblesse oblige' as a virtue of aristocrats or elites, the noble spirit and ideals demonstrated by Lee Hoe-young inspire modern descendants to reflect on what true patriotism means.