Ilhan New (January 15, 1895 – March 11, 1971) was a Korean independence activist and entrepreneur. He was the founder of La Choy Food Products in the United States, and the South Korean pharmaceutical company Yuhan.
Early life and education
New was born on January 15, 1895, in Pyongyang, Joseon (present-day North Korea), among nine brothers and sisters.[1][2] His father, Yu Kiyŏn, was originally from Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province, but had settled in Pyongyang in order to do business. While there, Yu was baptised by American missionaries as a Christian.[3] He came to work as a merchant that distributed Singer sewing machines in Korea.[4]