Lee Kwon-mu (; 1914–1986), also known as Yi Kwon-mu or Ri Gwon-mu, was a North Korean general officer during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. He commanded a division, and later a corps, on the front line of the conflict and received

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

's two highest military honours, the

Hero of the Republic Hero of the Republic () is a North Korean honorific title. It was created on 30 June 1950 as Hero of the Korean People's Republic (). It was the first title created in the country. Despite having been created just five days after the Korean War ...

and the

Order of the National Flag The Order of the National Flag () is the second highest order of North Korea, after the Order of Kim Il Sung and the Order of Kim Jong Il. It is the oldest order in the country, having been established in 1948, just six weeks after the No ...

, First Class.

Biography

Lee was born in

Manchuria Manchuria is a historical region in northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day northeast China and parts of the modern-day Russian Far East south of the Uda (Khabarovsk Krai), Uda River and the Tukuringra-Dzhagdy Ranges. The exact ...

in 1914 to two Korean refugees. He joined the

Chinese Communist The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil W ...

Eighth Route Army The Eighth Route Army (), officially titled as the List of Army Groups of the National Revolutionary Army, 18th Group Army, was a Field army, group army nominally under the banner of the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) of the Republic of Ch ...

, fighting both the

Chinese Nationalists The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the sole ruling party of the country during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until its relocation to Taiwan, and in Taiwan ruled under ...

and the

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

. Some reports indicate he was also a

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

in the

Soviet Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of Peop ...

during World War II and a personal friend of

Kim Il Sung Kim Il Sung (born Kim Song Ju; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he led as its first Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader from North Korea#Founding, its establishm ...

. In 1948, Lee attended a

military officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer (NCO), or a warrant officer. However, absent c ...

school in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. Upon returning to North Korea, he was appointed

chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

of the

Korean People's Army The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) encompasses the combined military forces of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). The KPA consists of five branches: the Korean People's Army Ground Force, Ground Force, the Ko ...

(KPA).

Korean War

Prior to the Korean War, Lee was recalled on personal order of the North Korean Premier Kim Il Sung. Kim personally gave Lee command of the newly formed

4th Division In military terms, 4th Division may refer to: Infantry divisions *4th (Quetta) Division, British Indian Army * 4th Alpine Division Cuneense, Italy * 4th Blackshirt Division (3 January), Italy *4th Canadian Division *4th Division (Australia) * 4th ...

of the

Korean People's Army Ground Force The Korean People's Army Ground Force (KPAGF; , ) is the main branch of the Korean People's Army, responsible for land-based military operations. History The Korean People's Army Ground Force was formed on August 20, 1947. It outnumbered and o ...

. As such he was made a ''

Sojang Jiang (Wade-Giles, formerly romanized chiang and usually translated general (rank), general) is a general officer rank used by China and Taiwan. It is also used as jang in North Korea, North and South Korea, shō in Japan, and tướng in Vietna ...

'', or Major General, in the Korean military. On June 22, 1950, Lee issued his operational order to the NK 4th Division, stating it, along with the NK 1st Division and NK 3rd Division would attack

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

before moving further down the

Uijongbu Uijeongbu (; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It is the tenth-most populous city in the province and a suburb of Seoul within the greater Seoul Metropolitan Area. History Uijeongbu was established in 1400, during the reign of Jeon ...

corridor. Preparations for this order were completed by midnight of June 23. On June 25, 1950, Lee subsequently led his division to the capture of

in the

First Battle of Seoul The First Battle of Seoul (), known in North Korean historiography as the Liberation of Seoul (), was the North Korean capture of the South Korean capital, Seoul, during June 1950 at the start of the Korean War. Background On 25 June 1950, Ko ...

. He was awarded his decorations for this action. After Seoul, Lee was leading his division south when it encountered forces of

Task Force Smith The Battle of Osan () was the first engagement between the United States and North Korea during the Korean War. On July 5, 1950, Task Force Smith, an American task force of 540 infantry supported by an artillery battery, was moved to Osan, south ...

Osan Osan (; ) is a Subdivisions of South Korea, city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, approximately south of Seoul. The population of the city is around 200,000. The local economy is supported by a mix of agricultural and industrial enterprises. ...

, defeating the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

in its first engagement in Korea, the

Battle of Osan The Battle of Osan () was the first engagement between the United States and North Korea during the Korean War. On July 5, 1950, Task Force Smith, an American task force of 540 infantry supported by an artillery battery, was moved to Osan, south ...

on July 5. Lee's division went on to fight the US forces back further at the

Battle of Pyongtaek The Battle of Pyongtaek was the second engagement between United States and North Korean forces during the Korean War, occurring on July 6, 1950, in the village of Pyongtaek in western South Korea. The fight ended in a North Korean victory follo ...

Battle of Chonan The Battle of Chonan was the third engagement between United States and North Korean forces during the Korean War. It occurred on the night of July 7/8, 1950, in the town of Chonan in western South Korea. The fight ended in a North Korean victor ...

, the

Battle of Chochiwon The Battle of Chochiwon was an early engagement between United States and North Korean forces during the Korean War, taking place in the villages of Jeonui-myeon and Jochiwon (then spelt 'Chochiwon') in western South Korea on July 10–12, 1950 ...

and the Battle of Uijeongbu. At the

Battle of Taejon The Battle of Taejon (16–20 July 1950) was an early battle of the Korean War, between U.S. and North Korean forces. Forces of the United States Army attempted to defend the headquarters of the 24th Infantry Division (United States), 24th Infa ...

from July 12–20, Lee's division was pivotal in routing and defeating the

US 24th Infantry Division The 24th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the United States Army that was inactivated in October 1996. Formed during World War II from the disbanding Hawaiian Division, the division saw action throughout the Pacific theater, first ...

, a feat for which it was upgraded to the status of a

guards unit Guards units () were elite units and formations in the Soviet Armed Forces that continue to exist in the Russian Armed Forces and other post-Soviet states. These units were awarded Guards status after distinguishing themselves in wartime service ...

. Lee also received the Hero of the Chosun Minjujui Inmun Kongwhakuk (Hero of the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea) and the

, First Class for his accomplishments. Immediately thereafter, Lee's division advanced to the

Pusan Perimeter The Battle of the Pusan Perimeter, known in Korean as the Battle of the Naktong River Defense Line (), was a large-scale battle between United Nations Command (UN) and North Korean forces lasting from August 4 to September 18, 1950. It was one ...

, where the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

had established defensive positions around the port city of

Pusan Busan (), officially Busan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's second most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.3 million as of 2024. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southe ...

. Lee's division confronted the US 24th Infantry Division along the

Naktong River The Nakdong River or Nakdonggang (, ) is the longest river in South Korea, which passes through the major cities of Daegu and Busan. It takes its name from its role as the eastern border of the Gaya confederacy during Korea's Three Kingdoms Era. ...

from August 5–19, the

First Battle of Naktong Bulge The First Battle of Naktong Bulge was an engagement between United Nations Command (UN) and North Korean forces early in the Korean War from August 5–19, 1950 in the vicinity of Yongsan ( Yeongsan, Changnyeong county) and the Naktong River in ...

. His division, originally numbering 7,000, was reduced to 3,500 in this fight. It was defeated and forced back across the river to rebuild. After the defeat of the North Korean forces at the Pusan Perimeter, Lee was promoted to

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

and relieved Kim Ung as the commander of the

NK I Corps I Corps () is a corps of the Korean People's Army Ground Force. It is headquartered at Kumgang County but was formerly headquartered in Hoeyang County. History The Corps was activated in 1950 with a strength of 5,000 men. It took command of the ...

. Under his command, the NK I Corps participated in the Chinese Third, Fourth and Fifth Phase Offensive in 1951..

Later life

After the war, Lee resumed his position as the chief of staff of the KPA. By 1959, however, Kim Il Sung systematically purged all rivals within the Soviet and Chinese factions of the KPA, and Lee was removed from his position. He disappeared from public life soon after his removal.

Notes

References

* * * * * * * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Kwon Mu North Korean generals North Korean expatriates in China North Korean expatriates in the Soviet Union Heroes of the Republic (North Korea) 1914 births 1986 deaths North Korean military personnel of the Korean War Yan'an faction