Biography.guide
Home › People › Politician › Soh Kwang-pom
Portrait of Soh Kwang-pom

Soh Kwang-pom

1859 – 1897

Korean reformist and politician

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Soh Kwang-pom

Lived 1859 – 1897 (aged 37–38). Soh Kwang-pom was a Korean politician.

Sŏ Kwangbŏm (; 8 November 1859 – 17 July 1897) was a Korean reformist and politician of Korea's late Joseon.

Biography Sŏ Kwangbŏm or known by his English name: Kennedy (or Kenneth) Sŏ, was born into the Daegu Seo clan. Sŏ married Lady Kim of the Shin Andong Kim clan when he was a young boy, but Lady Kim had died at a young age to which led him to marry again and then a third time. He was close to his late first wife's relative, Kim Ok-gyun, who brought enlightenment and thoughts to him when he was young. Sŏ later became close with Park Yeong-hyo, Park Chan-ju's grandfather (the wife of Prince Yi U).

Sŏ Kwangbŏm was born into an aristocratic family of Korea and rose quickly through the political ranks. He was forced into exile, and spent 10 years in the United States, working for a time as a messenger in the Bureau of Education making a very modest salary. He was recalled to Korea where he was named Minister of Justice, where he led several important reforms. He was then sent to London as the Korean envoy to the Jubilee before returning to Korea to become a privy councilor to the King of Korea. He was sent back to Washington as an envoy where he served as Minister.

He died on 17 July 1897 in Washington, DC after an illness of a few days following his collapse after a bicycle ride. His remains were cremated.

Family Father Sŏ Sangik (; 1835–1884) Mother Lady Pak of the Bannam Park clan (; 1835–?); daughter of Pak Chewan (박제완; 1800–?) Wives Lady Kim of the (new) Andong Kim clan (; 1859–1874); daughter of Kim Pyŏngji (; 1830–1881) Lady Kim of the Gwangsan Kim clan (; 1862–?) Lady Pak of the Miryang Park clan (; 1865–?); daughter of Pak Sŭnghŏn (; 1840–?) Issue Adoptive son - Sŏ Chaedŏk ; son of the Sŏ Kwangjŏng

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1859
Birth century
Died
1897
Occupation
Nationality

People in Soh Kwang-pom's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Soh Kwang-pom's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Soh Kwang-pom?

Korean reformist and politician (1859–1897)

When was Soh Kwang-pom born?

Soh Kwang-pom was born in 1859.

When did Soh Kwang-pom die?

Soh Kwang-pom died in 1897.

What was Soh Kwang-pom's occupation?

Soh Kwang-pom was a politician.

What nationality was Soh Kwang-pom?

Soh Kwang-pom was Korean.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Soh Kwang-pom

· Wikidata: Q4276781

· DBpedia: Sŏ Kwangbŏm

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Soh Kwang-pom. https://biography.guide/soh-kwang-pom/

MLA: "Soh Kwang-pom." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/soh-kwang-pom/.

Chicago: "Soh Kwang-pom." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/soh-kwang-pom/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:23 UTC