Yi Cheol-seung

South Korean politician (1922–2016)

Member of the National Assembly, South KoreaIn office
1954 The 3rd National AssemblyConstituencyJeonju, IndependentIn office
1958–1961 The 4th and 5th National AssemblyConstituencyJeonju, Democratic PartyIn office
1971 The 8th National AssemblyConstituencyJeonju, New Democratic Party (신민당)In office
1973 The 9th National Assembly and Vice Speaker of the National AssemblyConstituencyJeonju, New DemocraticPartyIn office
1978 The 10th National AssemblyConstituencyJeonju, Wanju, New DemocraticPartyIn office
1985 The 12th National AssemblyConstituencyJeonju, New DemocraticParty Personal detailsBornMay 15, 1922
Seoul, KoreaDiedFebruary 27, 2016 (age 93)Resting placeSeoul National CemeteryNationalityRepublic of Korea (South Korea)Political party1954 Independent;

1958 Democratic Party; 1971 New Democratic Party (신민당); 1973 New Democratic Party; 1976 Representative Supreme Member, the New Democratic Party; 1978 New Democratic Party;

1985 New Democratic Party;SpouseKim Chang-heeChildrenYanghee Lee (daughter)AwardsOrder of Service Merit ("Mugunghwa Medal," 국민훈장 무궁화장)

Art name
Korean name
Hangul	이철승
Hanja	李哲承
Revised Romanization	I Chul-seung
McCune–Reischauer	I Ch'ŏlsŭng
Hangul	소석
Hanja	素石
Revised Romanization	So Seok
McCune–Reischauer	So Sŏk

Yi Cheol-seung (Korean: 이철승; May 15, 1922 – February 27, 2016) was a South Korean politician who served in the National Assembly for seven terms.

Lee was an advocate for the Korean independence movement, democracy, anti-communism, anti-military rule, and non-governmental organizations.^[1] After Korea was liberated from Japanese colonial rule in 1945, Lee led a student union that opposed the trusteeship of Korea [ko] under the United States and Soviet Union. He eventually entered politics in 1954 after winning a parliamentary seat.^[2]

Lee and his two political rivals, former Presidents Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung, were famous for their political competition and the establishment and development of democracy in South Korea.^[3] He was given buried in the Seoul National Cemetery on March 2, 2016, where former South Korean presidents are also buried.

Early life and education

1949 – B.A. in Political Science, Korea University
1962 – Studied at the Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania in International Relations
1995 – Honorary Doctor in Literature from Woosuk University
1998 – Honorary Doctor in Political Science from Korea University

Political career

The following is a timeline of his career.^[4]

Independence Activist

1946

Chairman, Central Committee, Anti-Trustee Students Assembly
Chairman, Central Committee, National Students Assembly

National Assembly

1954

Member, The 3rd National Assembly(Jeonju, Independent)

1958~1961

Member, The 4th National Assembly(Jeonju, Democratic Party)
The 5th National Assembly(Jeonju, Democratic Party)

1961

Korean Delegate to the 15th U.N. General Assembly
Chairman, Korea Sports Council
President, Korea Weightlifting Federation

1966

Chairman, Asia Weightlifting Federation

1969

Chairman, Asia Weightlifting Federation

1971~1973

Member, The 8th National Assembly(Jeonju, New Democratic Party)
Chairman, Korean Policy Research Institute

1973

Member, The 9th National Assembly(Jeonju, New Democratic Party)
Vice Speaker of the National Assembly

1975

Korean Delegate to the 30th U.N. General Assembly

1976

Representative Supreme Member, New Democratic Party

1978

Member, The 10th National Assembly(Jeonju, Wanju, New Democratic Party)

1984~

President, Council for Commemorative Projects for Korea's Anti-trusteeship & Anti-communism Student's Movement

1985

Member, The 12th National Assembly(Jeonju, New Democratic Party)

1987

자유민주총연맹 총재

Political Exile

On May 16, 1961, Park Chung Hee, Kim Jong-pil, and Lee Nak-sun successfully staged a military coup d'etat. Immediately after, Park Chung Hee sent aides to try and win over key opposition lawmakers including Lee who rejected Park's request for help. Lee was forced to leave politics and went to the United States where he was vocally opposed to the military coup in Korea and studied Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania.

(This article needs more details about his political exile, his "man without a passport" status, and his asylum in the U.S.)

Political Comeback

(This article needs more details about his political comeback)

Post-Political Career and Civil Society Leadership

1990

Director, The Seoul Peace Prize
Member, The Seoul Peace Prize Selection Committee

1993

Director, Commemorative Committee for "Patriotic Martyr in Yeosoon"

1994~

Co-chairman, National Council for Freedom and Democracy

1995~

Advisor, Korea Eligible Senior Voters Federation

1996~

Chairman, Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation and President, the Seoul Peace Prize Selection Committee
Member, Organizing Committee for the 2002 World Cup
Chairman, Association of Patriotic Societies for National Foundation

1998

Chairman, Preparatory Committee for Commemorative of the Founding of the Republic of Korea

2005

자유민주비상국민회의 대표의장

2007

Chairman, Parliamentarians' Society of the Republic of Korea

2011~2016

Chairman, The Elders Group of the Parliamentarians' Society of the Republic of Korea

Death

Lee died on February 27, 2016, at 03:45 KST, at Samsung Hospital in Seoul at the age of 94. A funeral was held for him on March 2, 2016, that began with a five-day wake and a police-escorted procession that led to the National Assembly and ended with a gun salute at the Seoul National Cemetery where he is buried along with former South Korean presidents.

Awards

Order of Service Merit ("Mugunghwa Medal," 국민훈장무궁화장)

Publications

The Republic of Korea and I (대한민국과 나; 2011)
Oh! Who Will Look After Korea (오! 대한민국 누가 지키리; 2002)
A Challenge for Hopelessness (절망에의 도전)
Long March to Democracy (민주의 장정)
Pan-National Student Federation (전국학련)
The Middle-of-the-Road Integration Theory (중도통합론; 1992)
The Sound Argument of Chaotic Period
A History of Korean Students National-Building Movement
How the Republic of Korea was Founded (1998)
My Political Thoughts for Democratic Development

References

^ "7선 의원 지낸 이철승 전 신민당 총재 별세". The Chosun Ilbo.
^ "Former 7-term lawmaker dies". The Korea Times.
^ "See news video clip: '40대 기수론' 이철승, YS-DJ 잠든 서울현충원 영면.Lee Chul-seun, YS-DJ Rest Together at Seoul Nat'l Cemetery". news.ichannela.com.
^ "Lee Chul-seung". Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation.