Yu Kil-chun

Yu Kil-chun (, 1856 – 1914) was a Korean politician, philosopher, thinker, reform activist and independence activist during the Joseon Dynasty. His nickname was Gudang, Chunmin, Guyil.
Life.
Yu Kil-chun was born in Kwangju. In his early years he studied under Park Kyu-su and Oh Kyung-suk. As a young man in 1881, he went to Meiji Japan to study at Keio University. He then went to the United States in 1884 to study mathematics. After that, he was accused of supporting the "Gaehwadang" (enlightenment party). He was arrested and put in jail from 1885 to 1894.
Between 1894 and 1895, Yu worked for the government of prime minister Kim Hongjip. He was Vice Minister of State for Home Office. In October 1895, Korea's King Gojong claimed that Yu was involved in the assassination of Queen Min. Kim was killed and his cabinet was disbanded. Yu went to the Russian embassy and escaped the country for exile in Japan. He returned to Korea in 1907 after he was pardoned by Emperor Sunjeong.
In 1910, when Korea was annexed by Imperial Japan, Yun started a movement against the annexation. Yu was offered the title "danshaku" by the Government of Japan, but he refused it. He died in 1914 of a heart problem. He was aged 58.