"Making History Easy to Understand..." Passing of Historian Yi Ihwa, Author of 'Stories of Korean History'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jong-gil] Historian Lee Ihwa, who contributed to the popularization of history through vigorous writing activities, passed away on the morning of the 18th. He was 84 years old.

He wrote over 100 historical books, including the 22-volume series "Stories of Korean History," completed in 2004, as well as "The Thoughts of Heo Gyun," "Korean History Through Figures," and "Jeon Bong-jun, Records of Revolution." Although he did not study history at university, he described history in an easy and interesting way based on thorough verification. He is regarded as having broken down the high walls of historiography by building academic achievements comparable to those of full-time historians.

He was born in 1936 in Daegu as the fourth son of Yasan Lee Dal, a master of the I Ching. His father did not send him to school, so he studied classical Chinese and learned the Four Books (Saseo) at Daedunsan. When the Korean War broke out in 1950, he ran away from home and traveled around to focus on his studies. Later, he was admitted to the Creative Writing Department at Seorabeol Arts College, which was later incorporated into Chung-Ang University, but he dropped out due to financial difficulties. To make a living, he worked various jobs such as a door-to-door salesman, bar waiter, reporter for the Buddhist Times, and academy instructor, all while never letting go of his books.

He began writing after quitting a temporary position at the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper. He gained public attention by consecutively publishing works such as "A Biography of Shin Gyu-sik," "Heo Gyun and Reformist Thought," "Factions in Korea," and "History and the People." At the same time, he translated classics at the Minjok Munhwa Chujinhoe, the predecessor of the Academy of Korean Studies, and wrote classical commentaries at the Kyujanggak Institute at Seoul National University, embarking on a full-fledged career as a Korean history author.

He was also a founding member of the Institute for Historical Issues, which publishes the quarterly magazine "Historical Criticism." The Institute was established in February 1986 to promote collaborative historical research and disseminate its results. At that time, the director was Professor Jeong Seok-jong of Yeungnam University, the deputy director was literary critic Im Heon-young, and the chairman was Park Won-soon, then mayor of Seoul and a lawyer. Lee participated as a steering committee member alongside Professor Seo Jung-seok of Sungkyunkwan University. He served as the second director of the Institute and also worked as an advisor.

Historian Lee Ihwa, who published the revised edition of Korean History Stories (Complete 22 Volumes)

His representative work is "Stories of Korean History." It is said to be the largest volume of Korean general history written by an individual. He attracted public interest by presenting history not as dusty old tales but as stories connected to present-day realities. In an interview during his lifetime, he stated, "History books must contain terms and sentences that the general public can understand to be popularized. My argument is that one should not speak in a way that only oneself understands."

He freely researched from ancient to modern history. He broadened the scope of historical perspectives by breaking down the boundaries between documentary history, which focuses on politics and economics, and social history, which pays attention to folklore. Thanks to this, he received the Danjae Sang and Im Chang-soon Academic Awards and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Wonkwang University in 2014. In 2018, he also served as the chairman of the construction committee for the Museum of Colonial History, opened by the Institute for Korean Historical Issues in Yongsan-gu.

He is survived by his wife Kim Young-hee, son Lee Eung-il, and daughter Eung-so. The funeral is being held at Seoul National University Hospital Funeral Hall.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.