Yoon, Byung-goo: He held the position of Central President of the Korean National Association.

He was a crucial person who led the Korean National Association twice in 1910 through 1920 actively working as an interpreter in Hague along with Song,  Hurn-joo who  was  studying at Roanoke College and he was a Christian minister. He came  to  Honolulu in 1903. Both Dr. Syngman Rhee and Yoon, Byung-goo visited U.S. President Roosevelt to present a petition for Korean independence. They were sworn brothers and as  a  young  brother,  their  friendship lasted for a long time. He played an
important role to consolidate splinter Korean groups into the Korean National Association on February 10, 1910 in San Francisco. While he was serving as president of the organization, he was also serving as a clergy in Reedley and in New York. The South Korean President Syngman Rhee invited him to work as an advisor for the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He passed away on June 20, 1949. Syngman Rhee was present at his funeral service in Seoul. He had a son Frank Yoon who served in the U.S. armed forces during WW II and later worked at the CA Agriculture Department. In 1977, the South Korean government posthumously recognized him with the Order of Merit of National Foundation / Independence Award for his service and contribution for the Korean independence movement.

▲ With his wife Agnes Oh and son Frank Yoon (1940s)

▲ Rev. Yoon’s grave at Dong Jak Dong National Cemetery, Seoul, Korea.