Yi Sung-yop
Yi Sung-yop was a communist activist during the Japanese occupation of Korea and a politician during the early years of North Korea.
He was early involved in the founding of the Communist Party of Korea and was an aide of Pak Hon-yong, and he participated in workers’ strike activities throughout the 1930s. He participated in the founding of the Workers' Party of South Korea in 1946 after the liberation of August 15 following the surrender of Japan. In addition, he served as a member of first and second CC of the WPK, and afterwards held the positions of the North Korean Workers' Party's political chairman and the People's Censorship Committee. After the formal establishment of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea he served in the first North Korean Cabinet as the first Minister of Justice, and then served as Deputy Secretary-General of the Cabinet and National Censorship Office. In 1953, Park Heon-young was sentenced to death in the US espionage case, and was executed on July 30, 1954.
Biography
Early life
Born as a son of a poor boatman in Seongjae-ri, Bupyeong-myeon, Gyeonggi Province, and a short childhood in Bucheon-gun, Gyeonggi-do, he later grew up in Incheon, Gyeonggi-do. His father worked as a boatman and later ran an inn. After graduating from ordinary school, he went to Incheon High School of Commerce in Gyeonggi-do. While attending Incheon High School, he joined the March 1st Movement in 1919 and was expelled. After getting a job at a factory, he became a labor activist by resentment of a poor working environment. Then, in 1923, he joined the Youth Alliance of the Communist Party of Korea.First stages in politics
In 1924, he participated in the founding of the 1st Chosun Communist Party and joined the Chosun Ilbo in September of the same year to become a reporter. In September 1925, when the Communist Party of Korea was founded under the leadership of the Hwayo Association, he joined The Chosun Ilbo as a journalist. After that, he worked as a labor movement and served as the central member of the Korea Labor Federation. After that, he was arrested in 1926 for being related to the organization of the Communist Party and was released.In 1930, in Busan, Park Jang-song, Ahn Young-dal, and Kim Hyung-yun were arrested while attempting to produce and distribute a flyer called "Strike to the Combat Ship's Compressed and Exploited Class" underground. It was named as the main proponent of the Busan Anti-Half-Day Incident. In 1931, he campaigned to rebuild the Communist Party of Korea with Park Heon-young and Kim Dan-ya, but was arrested and frustrated. After that, he served in the Seodaemun Prison for 4 years.
In 1937, he was arrested for the 4th Korean Communist Party Youth Alliance in Hamhung, Hamgyong Province, and placed in jail until 1939. Later, in 1941, he was active in and converted.