Henry Chung De Young: He staged the Korean independence movement with publications in English and with his diplomacy.

He immigrated to America in 1904 at age four- teen to learn more in a new world. He moved to Nebraska and finished elementary, junior and senior high through Nebraska College. He got his bachelor and master degrees from Nebraska State University and later he received his Ph.D. at the American University. He was the second to receive such doctorate degrees after Dr. Syngman Rhee. In 1918, he became an Assistant Professor at Northwestern University in Chicago. This was the full-fledged beginning of his participation in the independence movement. He was one of three to attend the Paris International Peace Conference: Syngman Rhee, Kim, Kyu-sik and himself. However, due to the strenuous block by the Japanese, they could not attend the conference. In 1919, he and Dr. Syngman Rhee wrote petitions to U.S. President Woodrow Wil son and representatives arguing: (1) The Big Powers shall rescue Korea from Japanese tyranny. (2) The Big Powers shall guarantee  the  independence of Korea. (3) Korea should be under the temporary trustee under the League of Nations. However,  because of the  petition (3),  Syngman Rhee was impeached from the Korean Provisional Government and removed from the presidency. Mr. Min, Pyong-yong, the publisher of this book, visited him in 1983 at his residence in Colorado Springs in Colorado on March 31, 1983. He said: “My heart followed the spirit of Dosan Ahn Chang Ho for the rest of my life. However, my body actively worked with Dr. Syngman Rhee’s diplomacy.” He worked independent of the Korean National Association, Hung Sa Dahn or Dong Ji Hoe. He never joined any of the organizations. He was a flag bearer of the Korean independence movement to proclaim Korean sovereignty deep into the main stream American society as well as a salient fact of Japanese invasion of Korea peninsula and a power balance of Southeast Asia with his English publications and uncanny knowledge and public elocution. He once said he admired and respected Dr. Syngman Rhee most of all. His relations with Dr. Rhee began with WWI through WWII as they lived through their tough times together for the Korean independence movement with diplomacy. Later, he argued the inevitable Korean independence through his articles, “The Oriental Policy of the United States, “ and “The Peace Conference.” He noted that “Dr. Syngman Rhee was head- strong, uncompromising and dictatorial, yet he was an indisputable Korean patriot.” He truly contributed  to  Korean  independence  efforts with his publication of writings. He was known as Henry Chung De Young in American society. He wrote an article on Today’s Korea and he authored Facts on Korea in 1922. His theory of Korean independence was that since Korea is a weaker nation, its independence is only possible with the help of the big power like the United States. He married Joanna, an American woman. They had Edwin, Henry, David and Francis. He passed away on June 30, 1985 at the age of 95. In 1962, the South Korean government posthumously recognized him with the Order of Merit of National Foundation / Independence Award for his dedication and contribution to Korean independence movement.

◀ Dr. Syngman Rhee is seated in a chair of George Washington, the first President of the United States at the Philadelphia Independence Hall while Henry Chung De Young standing hold- ing a Korean national flag.

▲ Mr. Min, Pyong-yong interviewing Dr. Henry Chung De Young in Colorado Springs.(March 31, 1983)

▲ Tomb of Dr. Henry Chung De Young at Dae Jeon National Cemetery.