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Born in 1889 in Kangseo, Pyongan Province, Choi Neung-ik went into exile in the United States in 1916 with the aim of achieving Korea’s independence and fighting against Japanese colonial rule. While studying at a university in the Willows area of Northern California, he participated in the founding conference of the Student Assembly as a representative of his region in April 1920. He organized the founding committee of the assembly and worked to foster camaraderie among Korean American students and promote a sense of national consciousness against Japanese rule.

When a Korean aviation training school was established in Willows, where he resided, he enrolled as a student. Along with about 50 other students, he underwent military training, solidifying his resolve to fight against Japanese oppression. In 1939, he organized the Chinese Refugee Support Committee, and in February 1941, he established the Korean Volunteer Army Support Committee in America.

In May 1942, when the Korean Volunteer Army was incorporated into the Korean Liberation Army, the committee was renamed the Korean Revolutionary Party’s U.S. branch in January 1943, and in September, it launched its official publication, Independence. Subsequently, it merged with the Korean American Federation, which unified all organizations in the United States. When Lee Seung-man’s Dongji Association withdrew from the Korean American Federation to establish its own diplomatic committee, Choi became an active member and participated in the restructuring and appointment processes of the Provisional Government’s diplomatic committee in the U.S.

In recognition of his contributions, he was posthumously awarded the Order of National Foundation in 1995.