User:Dckewon5131/최창학 (1891년)

Choi Chang-hak (October 12, 1891 – October 12, 1959) was a leading pro-Japanese entrepreneur in the mining industry of Korea after the Japanese occupation and liberation from Japan's colonial rule. During the Japanese colonial period, he developed a gold mine to accumulate wealth, and after liberation, he provided his villa, Jukcheomjang (Gyeonggyojang), to Kim Gu, who served as the president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. He was from Guseong-gun, Pyeonganbuk-do, and his hometown was Gwaksan-myeon, Jeongju-gun, Pyeonganbuk-do.

Before liberation
From 1923 to 1929, Samsung Geumgwang was established as a mining area in Guseong-gun, Pyeonganbuk-do, and was called the largest Korean miner and 10 millionaire during the Japanese colonial period. He was a businessman from an early age and developed a gold mine in Pyeonganbuk-do and became a rejection. Since then, he has participated in various activities, including serving as the fourth chairman of Osan School as a community leader of the Guseong area. When Choi Chang-hak's family left Guseong and moved to Gyeongseong-bu in 1938, there was an anecdote that the tax revenue of Guseong-gun and Pyeonganbuk-do decreased.

After moving to Seoul, he participated in several pro-Japanese groups and actively supported the Pacific War. Starting with the Gyeonggi-do branch and Seodaemun branch councilor of the Korean Air Defense Association in 1938, the pro-Japanese media Maeil Shinbo's shareholder promoter and executive director, the founder of the National Spirit Mobilization Chosun Federation, and the supporting board of the Gyeongseongbu Army.

He served as a director of the Chosun Imbo National Foundation, a member of the Gu Il-hoe, the National Spirit Mobilization Movement Committee, and a member of the executive council.

As he was a capitalist, he donated a large amount of defense donations to support war materials. Choi Chang-hak's donation was so large that it was different from others.

In July 1940, he became a shareholder of Gyeongin Enterprise Co., Ltd. and invested more than 1,000 shares to become one of the major shareholders of Gyeongin Enterprise.

After liberation
After Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, he stayed at his house in Seodaemun when the Korean Provisional Government officials returned to Korea. In addition, Kim Gu was provided with his villa, Jukchumjang (Gyeonggyojang), Seodaemun-gu, as Kim Gu's private residence. After that, he became one of the financial guardians of the Korean Dokdang. Since then, Gyeonggyojang was also used as the residence of Kim Gu and the government building of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.

After that, there was a perception of Choi Chang-hak's non-Japanese cooperation, such as being included in the pro-Japanese group list written by Kim Seung-hak, but he was not punished when the Anti-People's Special Committee was disbanded. In December 1945, he participated in the Joseon Mining Central Committee as an handover director, was involved in the management and handover of mines owned by Japanese, and was selected as a preparatory member for the 2nd National Mining Congress in October 1949.

When Kim Gu was assassinated on June 26, 1949, Choi Chang-hak demanded money from Kim Gu's bereaved family, and the bereaved family, who refused the request, returned the Gyeonggyojang to Choi Chang-hak. However, as his family declined due to severe inflation after the Korean War, the Gyeonggyojang was disposed of and became owned by Korea Hospital (now Gangbuk Samsung Hospital). In June 1950, he was unable to evacuate during the Korean War and remained in Seoul, but survived safely and worked in the loan shark business after the war.

In December 1955, he was arrested by the Security Bureau on charges of tax evasion, but he was acquitted in 1957, and was inaugurated as the chairman of Osan Middle and High School that year. On October 12, 1959, at the age of 69, he died of a heart attack at a hospital affiliated with the Capital Medical School (now Korea University Medical School).

After death
In 2008, it was included in the economic sector and the pro-Japanese organization sector among the list of prospective people to be included in the pro-Japanese noun dictionary compiled by the Institute for National Affairs. It was also included in the list of 705 pro-Japanese anti-ethnic acts announced by the Pro-Japanese Anti-ethnic Acts Commission.

See more

 * Korea Imjeonbo National Foundation
 * Gyeonggyojang
 * Kim Gu
 * Bang Eung-mo