Kim returned to Korea upon the Japanese surrender to the Allies in 1945.
He was known as "the Assassin" and reportedly travelled with an entourage of gunmen and concubines.

In December 27 1945, the heads of state of the USA, the UK, the USSR, and China agreed to a trusteeship for newly liberated Korea.
Kim was opposed trusteeship.
The 1947 creation of The Joint Soviet-American Commission was also opposed by Kim.

As the division of the newly independent country under the trusteeship became obvious, he led a team of former independence activists to Pyongyang to hold unification talks with Kim Il-sung, who later became the president of North Korea.
Talks deteriorated rapidly after he voiced his hostility toward the growing communist presence in North Korea.

In 1948, the inaugural National Assembly of South Korea nominated Kim as a candidate for the office of the first president of the Republic.
In the election by the National Assembly, Kim was defeated by Rhee Syngman, the first president of the provisional government, who had been impeached in 1925 by a vote of 180-16.
He lost the election for the vice presidency to Lee Si-yeong (이시영; 李始榮) by a vote of 133-59.
Kim did not know about his nomination until after the election.
He did not approve the nomination, considering it a ploy to discredit him.
Kim would never have participated in the election as he fiercely opposed the establishment of separate governments in North and South Korea.
Kim returned to Korea upon the Japanese surrender to the Allies in 1945. He was known as "the Assassin" and reportedly travelled with an entourage of gunmen and concubines.
In December 27 1945, the heads of state of the USA, the UK, the USSR, and China agreed to a trusteeship for newly liberated Korea. Kim was opposed trusteeship. The 1947 creation of The Joint Soviet-American Commission was also opposed by Kim.
As the division of the newly independent country under the trusteeship became obvious, he led a team of former independence activists to Pyongyang to hold unification talks with Kim Il-sung, who later became the president of North Korea. Talks deteriorated rapidly after he voiced his hostility toward the growing communist presence in North Korea.
In 1948, the inaugural National Assembly of South Korea nominated Kim as a candidate for the office of the first president of the Republic. In the election by the National Assembly, Kim was defeated by Rhee Syngman, the first president of the provisional government, who had been impeached in 1925 by a vote of 180-16. He lost the election for the vice presidency to Lee Si-yeong (이시영; 李始榮) by a vote of 133-59. Kim did not know about his nomination until after the election. He did not approve the nomination, considering it a ploy to discredit him. Kim would never have participated in the election as he fiercely opposed the establishment of separate governments in North and South Korea.
Kim Gu