Lee Kwon-mu (Korean: 리권무; 1914–1986), also known as Yi Kwon-mu or Ri Gwon-mu,[1] was a North Korean general officer during the Korean War. He commanded a division, and later a corps, on the front line of the conflict and received North Korea's two highest military honours, the Hero of the Republic and the Order of the National Flag, First Class.[2]
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 before moving further down the Uijongbu corridor. Preparations for this order were completed by midnight of June 23.[6]
Immediately thereafter, Lee's division advanced to the Pusan Perimeter, where the United Nations had established defensive positions around the port city of Pusan. Lee's division confronted the US 24th Infantry Division along the Naktong River from August 5–19, the First Battle of Naktong Bulge. 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.[8]
After the defeat of the North Korean forces at the Pusan Perimeter, Lee was promoted to Lieutenant General and relieved Kim Ung as the commander of the NK I Corps.[9] Under his command, the NK I Corps participated in the Chinese Third, Fourth and Fifth Phase Offensive in 1951.[10]
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.[11] He disappeared from public life soon after his removal.[5]
Alagappa, Muthiah (2001), Coercion and Governance: the Declining Political Role of the Military in Asia, Stanford University Press, ISBN978-0-8047-4227-6
Chinese Military Science Academy (2000), History of War to Resist America and Aid Korea (抗美援朝战争史) (in Chinese), vol. II, Beijing: Chinese Military Science Academy Publishing House, ISBN7-80137-390-1
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