Kim Tu-bong

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Kim Tu-bong
Kim in 1955
Chairman of the Workers' Party of North Korea Central Committee
In office 28 August 1946 – 30 June 1949
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Kim Il Sung
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly
In office 9 September 1948 – 20 September 1957
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Choe Yong-gon
Personal details
Born	(1889-02-16)16 February 1889 Busan, Joseon
Died	between March 1958 and 1960 (aged 69–71) North Korea
Nationality	North Korean
Political party	Workers' Party of Korea
Other political affiliations	Communist Party of Korea (1925–1946) Workers' Party of North Korea (1946–1949)
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl	김두봉
Hancha	金枓奉
Revised Romanization	Gim Dubong
McCune–Reischauer	Kim Tubong
Art name
Chosŏn'gŭl	백연
Hancha	白淵
Revised Romanization	Baekyeon
McCune–Reischauer	Paegyŏn

Kim Tu-bong (Korean: 김두봉; 16 February 1889 – March 1958 or later) was the first Chairman of the Workers' Party of North Korea (one of two predecessors of today's Workers' Party of Korea, the other being Workers' Party of South Korea) from 1946 to 1949. He was known in South Korean history as a linguist, scholar, revolutionary and politician. His most famous work was under Ju Sigyeong; later, after participating in the March First Movement, he with other Korean leaders of the time established a provisional government-in-exile in China, and because of his communist beliefs he played an important role in the early North Korean communist government.

He and other members of the Yan'an faction formed the New People's Party when they returned from exile. After the New People's Party merged into the Workers Party of North Korea (WPNK) in 1946 at the 1st WPNK Congress, he became WPNK Chairman. He was the first head of state (Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly) of North Korea from 1948 to 1957. He is most remembered in South Korea for his efforts in establishing the Korean linguistic field and especially that of Hangul. Much of his work both political and linguistically was done while living in China with the exiled government of Korea. He is also known by his pen name Baekyeon. He was purged by Kim Il Sung in 1957.