Ji Cheong-cheon
Commander of the Korean Independence Army in the joint Korea–China campaigns and Commander-in-Chief of the Liberation Army
Known as Baeksan, he went by the name Yi Cheong-cheon in exile. Born in Seoul, he entered the Korean Empire's military academy, and when it was closed he was sent to study at the Japanese Army Academy, graduating in 1914 and becoming an officer in the Japanese army.
After the March First Movement of 1919 he deserted to Manchuria and trained independence fighters at the Sinheung Military Academy. He moved with the Western Route Military Administration into Russia, where he lived through the Free City Incident of 1921 and was briefly held prisoner. After serving in the Jeonguibu, he became commander of the Korea Independence Party's Korean Independence Army in 1930, and after the Mukden Incident joined forces with the Chinese National Salvation Army to defeat the Japanese at Ssangseongbo in 1932 and Daejeonjaryeong in 1933.
When the Korean Liberation Army was founded in Chongqing in 1940 he became its commander-in-chief, and prepared a homeland advance with the American OSS, but Japan surrendered first. Returning in 1947, he led the Great East Youth Corps and sat in the Constitutional Assembly and the second National Assembly. He died in 1957 and was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation (Republic of Korea Medal) in 1962.